Germany imposes new entry bans on Georgian officials over protest crackdown

On Monday, Germany imposed further entry bans on Georgian officials responsible for the crackdown on the ongoing protests.

The German Foreign Ministry’s statement emphasised that Georgian citizens have been taking to the streets for three months ‘in favor of a future in the EU and against the course of Georgia’s leadership’.

‘They continue to face intimidation, arrests and violence’, the post on X read.

Germany imposed travel bans on nine Georgian nationals ‘mainly responsible for the violence against protesters and opposition members’ on 31 December 2024 as well.

As with the previous announcement of German sanctions, the identities of those targeted was not specified.

Germany is one of the EU countries with which Georgia’s relations have significantly deteriorated after Georgian Dream halted the EU membership bid and responded with violence against demonstrators who took to the streets in protest.

Before the announcement of travel restrictions, on 24 December, it was announced that Berlin had stopped projects with Georgia worth €237 million ($256 million), including financing for green hydrogen, the energy grid, and water infrastructure projects in Batumi.

Then, in February, the German Ministry of Education froze the further development of scientific cooperation with Georgia.

Recently, several countries have imposed sanctions on the Georgian officials and suspended cooperation in various forms. Travel restrictions have been imposed by the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, the UK, as well as the US.

Among those sanctioned are leaders of the ruling party, with some measures directly targeting its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, as well as government officials and senior police officers.

At the same time, the US suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, Denmark terminated military cooperation, and the Swedish government announced that it is ending all forms of direct official cooperation with Tbilisi.

The rhetoric of the Georgian Dream party towards international criticism and sanctions is harsh, especially towards the Baltic states. Party representatives have repeatedly questioned the sovereignty of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze asserting that these countries are influenced by the instructions of the ‘deep state’.

The demand for international sanctions is frequently voiced by participants of anti-government and pro-European protests, who have been holding daily demonstrations outside the Georgian Parliament since 28 November, when the ruling party halted the EU membership bid.

Police responded to the protests with violence, including what appeared to be repeated and deliberate attacks on journalists.

Protesters detained during the protests have reported being systematically robbed and beaten by police, with testimony from several detainees revealing episodes of extreme violence and intimidation.

In parallel, the party quickly initiated numerous restrictive bills in Parliament targeting street protests, the media, and civil society. Some of these laws have already been passed.

Since the protests began, the ruling Georgian Dream party has continued to double down on its attacks on the West, accusing opponents of conspiring against the state and repeatedly claiming that the restrictive measures are necessary to counter external forces attempting to undermine stability in Georgia.

‘When we get in the minibus, the fun will start’ — How Georgian police torture detained protesters

Demonstrators detained by police during the protests in Tbilisi have noted a systemic pattern of police brutality.

OC MediaM