BREAKING: U.S. Sanctions Bidzina Ivanishvili

On December 27, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions – E.O. 14024.

“The U.S. is sanctioning Bidzina Grigoris Dze Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream. His actions have enabled human rights abuses and undermined the democratic and European future of the Georgian people for the benefit of the Russian Federation,” wrote the U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller on X (formerly Twitter).

The statement made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken reads: “Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream’s actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia. Furthermore, they have derailed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future, a future the Georgian people overwhelmingly desire and the Georgian constitution mandates.

The result has left Georgia vulnerable to Russia, which continues to occupy more than 20 percent of Georgia’s territory. We strongly condemn Georgian Dream’s actions under Ivanishvili’s leadership, including its ongoing and violent repression of Georgian citizens, protestors, members of the media, human rights activists, and opposition figures. 

The United States is committed to promoting accountability for those undermining democracy and human rights in Georgia. Ivanishvili is being designated pursuant to section 1(a)(ii)(C) of Executive Order 14024 for being responsible for or complicit in, or having directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in the United States or abroad, for or on behalf of, or for the benefit of, directly or indirectly, the Government of the Russian Federation.”

Sanctions regime

According to the U.S. Treasury Department document, the freeze applies to all individual property in the United States or the possession or control of U.S. persons. They must be reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Transactions by companies owned by Ivanishvili or his partners are authorized, except if they are covered by other sanctions provisions. Importantly, the sanctions regime applies to any transactions made under the Singapore Court of Appeal Case, Credit Suisse Trust Ltd v. Ivanishvili, Bidzina and others of 2024 and the appeal of 2023.

Also Read:

• 21/12/2024 – Latvia Sanctions Another 13 Georgian Citizens
• 20/12/2024 – U.S. State Department Statement on Sanctioning Georgian MIA Officials for Serious Human Rights Abuses against Protesters
• 19/12/2024 – U.S. Department of Treasury Sanctions Georgian MIA Officials for Brutality Against Protesters, Journalists, and Politicians
• 19/12/2024 – UK Sanctions Senior Georgian Authorities, Including Minister of Interior
• 05/1/2024 – Ukraine Sanctions Ivanishvili and His Associates

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