**EU MPs Urge Sanctions on Georgian Officials**
Rasa Juknevičienė, a member of the European Parliament, has written to Kaja Kallas, the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She and other MEPs are urging the EU to impose sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for election fraud, democratic backsliding, and the repression of civil society.
The letter calls for “immediate action to protect democracy in Georgia” and asks the High Representative to present a proposal for sanctions. The MEPs want personal sanctions imposed on Georgian authorities because they have captured the state after a rigged election and are suppressing protests by civil society.
This is not the first time the European Parliament has taken action against Georgia. On November 28, it adopted a resolution urging the EU to implement a comprehensive package of personal sanctions in response to massive election violations that took place prior and during the October 26 parliamentary elections. The resolution called for sanctions against officials and political leaders responsible for democratic backsliding, electoral law violations, administrative abuses, and misuse of state institutions.
The letter also mentions specific individuals who should be targeted with sanctions, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladaze, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the ruling party Irakli Garibashvili, and judges passing politically motivated sentences.
The MEPs are also calling for immediate and targeted personal sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and the freezing of his assets in the EU. They urge Kaja Kallas to present a sanctions proposal to the Council without delay, as the authoritarian capture of the state is unfolding in Georgia before their eyes.
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