Nika Gvaramia: The MEGOBARI Act obligates the U.S. President to impose sanctions on Georgian officials who pose a threat to Georgia’s stability — the sanctions include visa restrictions and asset freezes

The MEGOBARI Act obligates the President of the United States to impose sanctions on foreign individuals, including Georgian officials, who pose a threat to Georgia’s security and stability. These sanctions include visa restrictions and asset freezes and apply to anyone who, since January 1, 2014, has held a position in parliament or party leadership. This was announced by Nika Gvaramia, leader of the “Coalition for Change.”

Gvaramia explains who would be affected by the MEGOBARI Act, which was supported by the U.S. House of Representatives:

“The MEGOBARI Act has been passed with massive bipartisan support. Two steps remain — discussion in the Senate and the President’s signature — which typically follow quickly after the main vote.

The MEGOBARI Act obligates the U.S. President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals, including Georgian officials, who endanger Georgia’s security and stability. The sanctions include visa restrictions and asset freezes and will apply to:

Anyone employed in parliament or party leadership since January 1, 2014;

Current high-ranking officials;

Their close relatives, if they have benefited from those individuals’ actions;

Anyone involved in corruption or attempts to derail Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic course,”

writes Gvaramia on Facebook.

For context, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved the MEGOBARI Act, officially titled the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence Act. It was supported by 349 members of Congress, with 42 voting against. The bill must now be approved by the U.S. Senate.