Opposition MP Roman Gotsiridze warned that Georgian banks serving individuals recently sanctioned by the US Treasury Department could face international sanctions. In a social media post, Gotsiridze highlighted the gravity of the financial sanctions imposed by the US, which target senior officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and members of the pro-Russian Alt-Info far-right group.
“The US Treasury Department has imposed financial—not just visa—sanctions on four individuals, including high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and representatives of Alt-Info, similar to the sanctions against former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze. This means that any Georgian bank that serves these individuals starting tomorrow will fall under international sanctions,” Gotsiridze wrote.
He noted that the National Bank of Georgia previously issued a ruling stating that sanctions on Georgian citizens would only be enforced following a decision by a Georgian court. However, Gotsiridze pointed out that this puts Georgian banks in a difficult position, as they now face a conflict between adhering to the National Bank’s ruling or complying with international sanctions.
“Commercial banks must immediately begin enforcing these sanctions against the individuals in question. Failure to do so could place the entire Georgian banking system in international isolation, a situation that could lead to a financial collapse,” the MP warned.
The US Treasury announced on Monday that they had sanctioned Ministry of Internal Affairs officials Zviad Karazishvili and Mileri Lagazauri, along with pro-Russian Alt-Info members Zurab Makaradze and Konstantine Morgoshia.
