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Germany Expands Sanctions on Georgian Officials Over Crackdown on Pro-EU Protests
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on March 24 that it has imposed additional entry bans on officials from Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party who are responsible for the ongoing crackdown on pro-European Union protesters.
The Ministry acknowledged that Georgians have been protesting for several months in favor of a European future and against the current course of the government. It noted that demonstrators "continue to face intimidation, arrests, and violence," prompting Berlin to extend its sanctions on those responsible for the repression. However, the Ministry did not disclose the names or the exact number of individuals affected by the new measures.
This latest move follows Germany's initial sanctions on December 31, 2024, when Berlin imposed entry bans on nine individuals deemed "primarily responsible" for violent actions against protesters and opposition figures in Georgia.
Opposition Rejects Legitimacy of Parliamentary Investigative Commission
The leader of the Coalition for Change, Nika Gvaramia, has announced that the opposition will boycott the parliamentary investigative commission, calling it an illegitimate body created by Bidzina Ivanishvili to serve Russian interests.
Gvaramia dismissed the commission as both illegal and illegitimate, stating that its true purpose is to distract from Georgia's deepening political crisis by shifting attention to Kremlin-backed narratives. "We are not going to give the oligarch this opportunity," he said.
Gvaramia also expressed support for Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, leaders of the opposition party Lelo, who refused to participate in the commission's proceedings.
Khazaradze, who was summoned to testify about Magnat LLC, did not attend the session. In response, the commission, led by Tea Tsulukiani, voted to refer his case to the prosecutor's office. Under Georgian law, refusal to comply with a commission's request can lead to a fine or imprisonment of up to one year.
Tsulukiani claimed that Khazaradze had been properly notified, including through WhatsApp and Signal, but still refused to appear. She criticized him for dismissing the commission as a "circus" in a Facebook post, suggesting that his refusal left no doubt about his stance.
