Irakli Kobakhidze Snubs US Sanctions by Decorating, Compensating Sanctioned MIA Officials
Georgian Dream’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has announced that 11 senior officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be nominated for the Order of Honor following Mikheil Kavelashvili’s inauguration as the new President. Kobakhidze also said that “if any official suffers financial losses as a result of the sanctions, the state will fully compensate them”. This statement follows the US Treasury Department’s sanctioning the day before of Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and the deputy head of the MIA’s Special Tasks Department, Mirza Kezevadze, for brutal crackdowns on members of the media, opposition figures and protesters.
Kobakhidze said: “These [persons to be awarded] include the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vice Prime Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Shalva Bedoidze, Deputy Ministers of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Giorgi Butkhuzi, and Ioseb Chelidze, the Director of the Central Criminal Police Department Teimuraz Kupatadze, the Director of the Patrol Police Department Vazha Siradze, the Director of the Tbilisi Police Department Sulkhan Tamazashvili, the Director of the Special Tasks Department Zviad Kharazishvili, and the deputies of the same department, Mileri Lagazauri and Mirza Kezevadze.”
The US has so far sanctioned at least four people from this list: Vakhtang Gomelauri, Zviad Kharazishvili, Mirza Kezevadze and Mileri Lagazauri.
During the briefing, Kobakhidze also addressed the government’s stance on Foreign Agents law, following the unexpected statement by the Council of Europe Alain Berset at today’s briefing announcing that the GD government promised to amend the law. Kobakhidze said: “If anyone convinces us that there is something negative in the Transparency law, we are certainly ready to discuss these issues,” the Prime Minister remarked. He also stated that his government is open to dialogue on the matter, including cooperation with the relevant structures of the Council of Europe.
Assessment of Alain Berset’s Visit
Prime Minister Kobakhidze further highlighted the importance of Alain Berset’s visit to Georgia, calling it a significant expression of support for the country and its people.
“We explained to the Secretary General that recent protests have become peaceful, and as a result, there is no longer a need for police force. We are confident that this will continue in the coming weeks. We also clarified the situation regarding administrative detention. Those detained administratively for violent acts will be fully released by the end of the month, as the maximum detention period in Georgia is 15 days.” He noted that: “This does not apply to individuals facing criminal charges and pre-trial detention, of whom there are approximately 30”.
Comments on Opposition, “Deep State”, and “Deoligarchization” of the U.S.
In response to questions about Georgia’s opposition, Kobakhidze referred to the “four radical opposition forces” as “secondary forces” and expressed a preference for engaging in dialogue with “their patrons” without naming who the “patrons” are. He also mentioned the conspiracy theory about the “deep state that rules the USA”, in the context of assessing the U.S’s announcement of sanctioning MIA Officials.
“We are hopeful that the situation will change by the end of the month. This will not be easy. Of course, it will not be easy for Donald Trump either to defeat the deep state. If he manages to defeat the deep state, dialogue may no longer be necessary, and justice could be restored easily. Let’s see how the processes develop,” said Kobakhidze. He also added that the “US needs deoligarchization”. “We are in full agreement with President Trump on this topic. He also believes that the U.S. needs to be freed from informal influences,” he claimed.
Also Read:
- 17/12/2024 – Senator Cardin Calls for U.S. Magnitsky Sanctions on GD Over Brutal Crackdown on Protesters
- 19/12/2024 – U.S. State Department Statement on Sanctioning Georgian MIA Officials for Serious Human Rights Abuses against Protesters
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)