DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

US sanctions former Georgian prime minister for 'undermining democracy'

2024-12-28 08:59:32Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
US sanctions former Georgian prime minister for 'undermining
Bidzina Ivanishvili

The United States announced it has imposed sanctions on Russia-friendly billionaire, former prime minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, for undermining Georgia's democracy for the "benefits of the Russian Federation."

“Under Ivanishvili’s leadership, the Georgian Dream has advanced the Kremlin’s interests by diverting Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory – in direct contradiction to what was dreamed of by the Georgian people and the Constitution,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on December 27.

Blinken added that "the actions of Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream have destroyed democratic institutions, enabled human rights violations, and restricted the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia."

"We strongly condemn the actions of the Georgian Dream under the leadership of Ivanishvili, including the continued and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media, human rights activists and opposition figures," the statement said.

The sanctions mean that transactions by entities owned by Ivanishvili will be blocked, according to the announcement. According to Bloomberg News, Ivanishvili's wealth is estimated at $7.5 billion, most of which he acquired through metals and telecommunications assets in Russia during the 1990s.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the US decision “blackmail” and said it was Ivanishvili’s “reward” for defending Georgia’s national interests. However, opposition leader Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement welcomed the US decision, according to Georgia’s Interpress news agency.

On December 12, the United States announced that it would “prohibit the issuance of visas to those responsible for, or involved in, the undermining of democracy in Georgia.” The sanctions affect about 20 people, “including individuals serving as government ministers and in Parliament, law enforcement and security officials, and private citizens,” the announcement added, without naming the individuals.

Georgia, once a close US ally, has angered Washington and the European Union by showing apparent closeness to Russia and violently suppressing its opponents in the country.

The sanctions come at a crucial time, as Georgia's fate is in question, whether it will continue to move closer to Moscow, return to a pro-European path, or remain in an environment of unrest and uncertainty.

Police in Tbilisi have clashed with pro-Western protesters in recent weeks, arresting dozens and injuring many who accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of steering the country away from its path toward the European Union and toward Moscow.

The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream declared victory in October's parliamentary elections, which the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said were marred by cases of vote-buying, double voting, physical violence and intimidation.

The protests grew after a government decision last month to postpone Georgia's EU membership talks.

The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) on December 24 called for an investigation into Georgian security forces for "brutal police violence" against largely peaceful protesters who have taken to the streets for large demonstrations against the government.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili – who has split from the government and supported the protesters – on December 22 called on Georgian Dream to set a date for new parliamentary elections by December 29.

Earlier this month, an electoral college dominated by Georgian Dream elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former footballer and right-wing populist, as the next president of Georgia.

He is expected to take office on December 29, although 72-year-old Salome Zurabishvili, whose term ends this year, has said she will not vacate the position./REL


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×