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WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned individuals who have undermined fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, in Georgia.  Specifically, the Department of the Treasury sanctioned two Georgian government officials associated with brutal crackdowns on peaceful protestors and political opponents, and two private Georgian citizens that are responsible for or complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in violently suppressing the exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly of Georgians engaged in the democratic process and peaceful expression. All four individuals are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse around the world. 

“Today’s action underscores our concern about the consequences of anti-democratic actions in Georgia and efforts by key individuals to use violence and intimidation to achieve their aims,” said Acting Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Bradley T. Smith. “The United States remains committed to holding accountable those who seek to undermine the rights of the Georgian people.”

georgian government officials responsible for the violent SUPPRESSION of free speech in 2024

On May 28, 2024, despite weeks of mass protests against the proposed legislation, the ruling Georgia Dream party passed a law titled “On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” known colloquially as the “foreign influence law,” that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has stated would stifle fundamental freedoms, including media freedom. It also runs counter to values which bind Georgia to Europe and the European Union. This law requires non-governmental organizations and outlets, including media organizations, that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to register as organizations “pursuing the interest of a foreign power.” 

During the protests that occurred prior to passage of the law, security forces from the Ministry of Internal Affairs Special Task Department (Special Task Department) violently targeted Georgian citizens, political opposition leaders, journalists, and youth activists who were peacefully expressing their views. This violence was overseen by the Chief of the Special Task Department, Zviad Kharazishvili (Kharazishvili), and his Deputy, Mileri Lagazauri (Lagazauri).

The violence perpetuated by the Special Task Department included the brutal beatings of many attendees of the non-violent protests against the new foreign influence law, including Georgian citizens and opposition politicians. Kharazishvili is well known for his punitive actions against political opponents and has been personally involved in the physical and verbal abuse of protestors.     

Kharazishvili and Lagazauri are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being foreign persons who are, or have been, leaders or officials of an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, serious human rights abuse related to the leader’s or official’s tenure.

organizers of violent Attacks on Freedom of PEACEFUL Assembly

Konstantine Morgoshia (Morgoshia) is a founder of Alt-Info, a media company which he used to amplify disinformation and spread hate speech and threats against marginalized communities. In July 2021 and 2023 he advocated for violent attacks against marginalized persons peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly and led hundreds of followers to break into non-governmental organization offices and attack journalists and police officers at the scene. 

Zurab Makharadze (Makharadze) is a media personality associated with Alt-Info and is one of the most vocal supporters of violence against peaceful demonstrators and marginalized Georgians. He directly encouraged violence against minority groups and journalists online prior to the violent attacks on marginalized communities and helped to direct, organize, and fundraise for the anti-human rights violence in 2021 and 2023. During the attacks, he led a group to clear out protestors from in front of the Georgian parliament and then instructed followers to go with Morgoshia to attack the non-governmental organization offices.

Morgoshia and Makharadze are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being foreign persons who are responsible for or complicit in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse. 

SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS

As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 13818. Non-U.S. persons are also prohibited from causing or conspiring to cause U.S. persons to wittingly or unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions, as well as engaging in conduct that evades U.S. sanctions. OFAC’s Economic Sanctions Enforcement Guidelines provide more information regarding OFAC’s enforcement of U.S. sanctions, including the factors that OFAC generally considers when determining an appropriate response to an apparent violation.

In addition, financial institutions and other persons that engage in certain transactions or activities with the sanctioned entities and individuals may expose themselves to sanctions or be subject to an enforcement action. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any designated person, or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. 

The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC’s ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. 

For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC’s Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here.

GLOBAL MAGNITSKY

Building upon the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, E.O. 13818 was issued on December 20, 2017, in recognition that the prevalence of human rights abuse and corruption that have their source, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States, had reached such scope and gravity as to threaten the stability of international political and economic systems. Human rights abuse and corruption undermine the values that form an essential foundation of stable, secure, and functioning societies; have devastating impacts on individuals; weaken democratic institutions; degrade the rule of law; perpetuate violent conflicts; facilitate the activities of dangerous persons; and undermine economic markets. The United States seeks to impose tangible and significant consequences on those who commit serious human rights abuse or engage in corruption, as well as to protect the financial system of the United States from abuse by these same persons.

Click here for more information on the individuals and entities designated today.

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