'Russian puppet': U.S. Senate considers using Magnitsky Act against Ivanishvili to address Georgia crisis
Ivanishvili targeted by Magnitsky Act sanctions
On December 5, the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing on Global Magnitsky sanctions, discussing ways to enhance their implementation and international coordination. Among other issues, the committee discussed ongoing human rights abuses by the Georgian government against demonstrators, expressing hope that Magnitsky sanctions could help address these violations.
William Browder, financier, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, and one of the initiators of the Magnitsky Act, spoke about the role of corruption in Georgia’s current crisis and accused Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire and informal ruler of Georgia, of effectively creating this crisis.
“Where did Ivanishvili get his money? From Russia. How did he build his fortune? Through Gazprom and other Russian state-owned companies. In my experience, these companies are highly corrupt.
Ivanishvili earned several billion dollars and returned to Georgia. So how do the Russians control this? They tell him: ‘You earned money in potentially questionable ways. We can seize it all, initiate a criminal investigation, or do nothing—if you help us.’ And so he has been actively assisting them ever since.
Therefore, it would be fair to say that the current illegitimate government of Georgia is a Russian puppet regime, and Bidzina Ivanishvili plays a very active role in this situation. This is one example of how corruption operates,” said William Browder.
He also stated that “corrupt people in power do not want the next government to investigate their actions,” and therefore “refuse to hand over power and manipulate elections.“
U.S. Helsinki Commission co-chair Senator Ben Cardin, who chaired the meeting, expressed hope that the Magnitsky Act sanctions would help Georgia get back on the right path.
“What is happening on the ground right now is unacceptable. The current government is treating the Georgian people inappropriately,” Cardin said.
What is the Magnitsky Act?
Sergei Magnitsky, a 37-year-old Russian tax consultant and lawyer of Ukrainian descent, exposed corruption and abuse of power by the Russian government. In 2008, he was arrested and killed in a Russian prison 11 months later.
In 2012, the U.S. Congress passed the Magnitsky Act, aimed at holding members of the Russian government accountable for Sergei Magnitsky’s death.
An updated version of the law in 2016 expanded its scope, allowing the U.S. government to impose sanctions – freezing assets and banning entry to the United States – on government officials worldwide implicated in human rights abuses.
