UK sanctions Georgian officials responsible for allowing brutal police violence
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-10)

UK sanctions four Georgian officials, including Georgia’s General Prosecutor, as part of latest action against serious human rights violations.

- UK becomes first state to sanction Georgia’s General Prosecutor as part of latest action against serious human rights violations.
- Georgian Head of the Special Investigatory Service also targeted for failure to properly investigate crackdown on protesters.
- Designations build on five Georgian individuals sanctioned under the UK’s Global Human Rights regime in December 2024.
The UK has sanctioned four more high-ranking Georgian officials for their role in allowing serious human rights violations in response to legitimate protests in Georgia since 2024.

Last year saw a series of public protests erupt across the country, triggered by the actions of Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream. In response, the authorities began an aggressive crackdown on demonstrations, attacking and arbitrarily detaining members of civil society, media and opposition figures.

With today’s action, the UK is the first state to sanction Georgia’s General Prosecutor and the Head of the Special Investigatory Service for failing in their positions to properly investigate those responsible for serious violence.

These measures support the UK Government’s work internationally to protect human rights, to reduce global instability and deter threats to UK national security – one of the foundations of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

“The scenes of brutal violence against protestors, journalists and opposition figures in Georgia were truly shocking. More than 100 days on, its authorities have failed to hold those responsible to account, flying in the face of Georgian Dream’s claim to be delivering a democratic future for its citizens.

“Our sanctions show the UK will not accept such a blatant lack of accountability by those in charge, and will continue to consider all options available to us until Georgia reverses its current trajectory. We stand with the people of Georgia and their constitutional right to fundamental freedoms and to pursue a European path.”

Individuals sanctioned today are:
- Giorgi Gabitashvili, General Prosecutor
- Karlo Katsitadze, Head of the Special Investigatory Service
- Shalva Bedoidze, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia
- Mirza Kezevadze, Deputy Chief of the Special Task Department
All four are excluded from the UK and its economy through UK travel bans and asset freezes.

Since the beginning of this year, Georgia’s ruling party – Georgian Dream – has attempted to push through legislation for a series of new repressive laws which critics say will be used to silence civil society and opposition parties, with the prospect of hefty prison sentences for non-compliance.

Today’s announcement adds to UK sanctions against five Georgian officials (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-georgian-officials-responsible-for-brutal-crackdown-on-media-and-protestors) in December for their roles in the violent attacks against demonstrators, media and opposition figures following the government’s decision to pause the country’s move towards a European future in – a key tenant of Georgia’s constitution.

The UK previously paused its annual flagship strategic dialogue, the ‘Wardrop Dialogue’, suspended governmental programme support and restricted engagement with Georgian Dream in response to an increase in anti-western rhetoric and democratic backsliding which restrict media freedoms and limits equality for the Georgian people.

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