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Czechia Sanctions Three MIA Officials

Czechia imposed sanctions on three high-ranking Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) officials for their involvement in the “brutal repression of protests”, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský announced on January 29.

“Today, at my suggestion, the government imposed sanctions on three employees of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is because of their direct responsibility for the brutal repression of protests in Georgia over the last year. In layman’s terms – thugs. And we do not want them in the Czech Republic,” Lipavský wrote on X.

According to Czech media outlet Novinky.cz, the sanctioned individuals are:

  • Zviad Kharazishvili (also known as “Khareba”) – Head of the Special Task Department
  • Mirza Kezevadze – Deputy Head of the Special Task Department
  • Vazha Siradze – Head of the Patrol Police

“This is the first entry on the national sanctions list for human rights violations. For context, the previous entries were for supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine,” Lipavský continued to Novinky.cz

International Sanctions Imposed on MIA officials

Prior to the Czech Republic, the Baltic states, the United States, and the United Kingdom have sanctioned Georgian MIA officials. Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri is also currently under U.S. and UK sanctions.

The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had sanctioned Kharazishvili and his deputy, Mileri Lagazauri, in September 2024 under the Global Magnitsky Act.

OFAC expanded its sanctions in December 2024 to include Vakhang Gomeluari and Mirza Kezevadze, citing the Special Task Department’s use of severe tactics against protesters, including “mass beatings, verbal abuse and threat of sexual violence.”

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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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