**Czechia Imposes Sanctions on Georgian Officials**
The Czech Republic has imposed sanctions on three high-ranking officials from the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). The move was announced by Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on January 29.
**Why the Sanctions?**
Lipavský said that the sanctions were due to the officials’ involvement in the “brutal repression of protests” in Georgia over the last year. He described them as “thugs” who would not be welcome in the Czech Republic.
**Who Are the Sanctioned Officials?**
The three officials 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
**International Sanctions**
This is not the first time that international sanctions have been imposed on Georgian MIA officials. The Baltic states, the United States, and the United Kingdom have also sanctioned Georgian officials.
The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has already sanctioned Kharazishvili and his deputy, Mirleri Lagazauri, under the Global Magnitsky Act in September 2024. OFAC expanded its sanctions in December 2024 to include Vakhang Gomeluari and Kezevadze.
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