Starting weeks ago Washington had threatened the Republic of Georgia with "consequences" amid accusations of rigged elections, after the 'Russia friendly' Georgian Dream Party swept parliamentary elections.
And this month, 53-year old Mikheil Kavelashvili of Georgian Dream party was named president after 224 out of 225 members of Georgia's electoral college voted him in (which the main opposition groups boycotted). Large pro-EU protests have all the while a mainstay in the capital of Tbilisi. The United States and European Union are loudly backing the protesters also amid the usual claims of 'Russian interference' in favor of governing authorities.
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| AFP/Getty Images |
More unrest and large protests are expected given Kavelashvili's inauguration is set for December 29. Police have been deploying riot control methods against larger and larger crowds all this month.
Western media describes Kavelashvili as "far right" abd as a critic of the West, as well as 'conspiratorial' given he has in the recent past claimed that Western interests are seeking to drive Georgia into conflict with Russia.
Late this past week the US and UK have begun to make good on their promises of consequences for the new government, citing an ongoing crackdown of the pro-EU protests. Senior officials in the Georgian government are being targeted by sanctions unveiled by the US and UK on Thursday.
"The United States strongly condemns the Georgian authorities' ongoing, brutal and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including peaceful protesters, media members, human rights activists and opposition figures," US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced.
The US Treasury described that top Georgian officials will have any assets or property held in the United States blocked, and most financial transactions involving these assets will be barred.
As for the UK, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has claimed that there is "shocking violence" against protesters, despite little evidence beyond what's typical for such street demonstrations and clashes with riot police.
Things seem quite peaceful actually, with little in the way of a police crackdown, which has just been sporadic in past weeks...
The united Megrelian, Rachvelian and Kartlelian (Kartli origin) march will now pass the Khorumi martial dance march and they'll proceed to the main Rustaveli rally. Today, on day 24, there have been at least 22 different marches.
— Marika Mikiashvili 🇬🇪🇺🇦🇪🇺 (@Mikiashvili_M) December 21, 2024
New elections! #GeorgiaProtests
📷 Bachana Sajaia pic.twitter.com/BhwbnuSy9v
Lammy called out the Georgian government and Dream Party for an ongoing "an egregious attack on democracy, and the Georgian people's right to exercise their fundamental freedoms."
"Our action today shows that the UK stands with the people of Georgia and will consider all options to ensure those responsible are held to account," he said, announcing the UK sanctions which were coordinated with Washington.
The dividing lines for Georgia's current crisis, which has seen the Dream Party solidify complete control of the government - but with unrest in the streets - is much like Ukraine's political divide in 2014. But let's hope the situation doesn't turn to open conflict involving the US or Russia (akin to the disastrous war in Ukraine), which is something officials in Tbilisi have long been worried about.
