Georgian PM: 'Sanctioned Interior Ministry officials will be awarded Orders of Honour'
Orders of Honour for Georgian security officials
The Georgian Dream-appointed Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced on December 20 that following the inauguration of the party’s presidential candidate, Mikheil Kavelashvili, a ceremony will be held to award Orders of Honour to employees of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Among the recipients will be Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Head of the Special Forces Department Zviad Kharazishvili (known by the nickname “Khareba”), and his deputy, Miller Lagazauri—all of whom are under sanctions by the UK and the U.S.
Additionally, on December 20, Vakhtang Gomelauri was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister.
Both decisions were announced by Georgian authorities a day after the U.S. and the UK added the Interior Minister to their sanctions lists.
On December 19, the U.S. included Vakhtang Gomelauri and Deputy Director of the Department of Emergency Situations, Mirza Kezevadze, in the international Magnitsky List “for violent repression against media representatives, opposition figures, and protesters.”
That same day, the UK imposed sanctions on five senior Georgian officials, including Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Special Forces Department Head Zviad Kharazishvili, his deputy, and the head of the Tbilisi police. According to the British government, these five officials are responsible for brutal attacks on journalists and violence against peaceful protesters.
Local and international human rights groups have issued special statements regarding the unprecedented violence by law enforcement during the dispersal and arrests of participants in massive pro-European protests, which have been ongoing in Georgia for over three weeks. The inhumane treatment of detainees has been equated to torture.
- Georgian NGOs report torture and abuse of detained protesters
- How special forces beat protesters in Tbilisi: stories from those hospitalized
- Amnesty International on Georgia: “Systematic, state-sanctioned human rights violations”
Kobakhidze announced the following list of security officials who will be nominated for the Order of Honour.
- Vakhtang Gomelauri (Minister of Internal Affairs; Deputy Prime Minister);
- Shalva Bedoidze (First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs);
- Alexander Darakhvelidze (Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs);
- Giorgi Butkhuzi (Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs);
- Ioseb Chelidze (Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs);
- Teimuraz Kupatadze (Head of the Main Directorate of Criminal Police, Ministry of Internal Affairs);
- Vazha Siradze (Director of the Patrol Police Department, Ministry of Internal Affairs);
- Sulkhan Tamazashvili (Director of the Tbilisi Police Department);
- Zviad Kharazishvili (Director of the Special Assignments Department);
- Miller Lagazauri (Deputy Director of the Special Assignments Department);
- Mirza Kezevadze (Deputy Director of the Special Assignments Department).
Kobakhidze also announced that the state will compensate losses incurred by those heads of security agencies affected by their inclusion in sanctions lists.
On December 19, the U.S. State Department announced that it would impose travel restrictions on law enforcement officers “involved in violence against protesters” as well as “municipal officials who abused their powers to restrict fundamental freedoms in Georgia.”
Orders of Honour for Georgian security officials
