The United States has imposed sanctions on Vakhtang Gomelauri and Mirza Kezevadze, as announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Specifically, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, and the Deputy Director of the Special Tasks Department, Mirza Kezevadze, have been added to the Treasury Department's "Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List" (SDN List). This list operates under the "Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act" and has been in effect since 2017.

The Treasury's statement highlights that this measure was coordinated with the United Kingdom, which also imposed sanctions today against Gomelauri and four other security officials.

"Amid the Georgian elections, key officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were involved in brutal and abusive repression against their own people, including the deliberate targeting of journalists and the use of violence. The United States remains committed to holding accountable those who seek to suppress their citizens’ rights and undermine fundamental freedoms—both in Georgia and globally," stated Bradley Smith, Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.