The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Georgian government officials, the Chief of the Special Task Department, Zviad Kharazishvili (Kharazishvili), and his Deputy, Mileri Lagazauri (Lagazauri), “associated with brutal crackdowns on peaceful protestors and political opponents “and two private Georgian citizens, Konstantine Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze “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.”
The statement also mentioned the Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence, which “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 per cent 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.
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. 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,” reads the statement.
