Foreign minister welcomes US decision to sanction Georgian Dream founder
Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said he was "glad" to see the USA sanction former Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili for eroding the country's democratic institutions. The Baltic states have already handed him entry bans.
Ivanishvili is the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream political party in Georgia. He is not an elected official.
Georgian Dream, which has spent 12 years in power, claimed victory in recent elections amid allegations of fraud. It then announced the suspension of EU accession talks, sparking widespread protests.
On Friday night the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ivanishvili had undermined "the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation."
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania sanctioned Ivanishvili and more than 20 other officials earlier this month after a violent crackdown against protesters.
"The time has come for Ivanishvili to pay the price for undermining democratic processes in Georgia. Estonia has sanctioned him & 27 other individuals due to their participation in human rights violations by suppressing legitimate protests in [Georgia]. Glad to see others following suit," Tsahkna wrote.
The time has come for Ivanishvili to pay the price for undermining democratic processes in Georgia.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) December 27, 2024
Estonia has sanctioned him & 27 other individuals due to their participation in human rights violations by suppressing legitimate protests in . Glad to see others following suit. https://t.co/cr176mAEym
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Editor: Helen Wright
