David Kramer, Director of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, has warned that the US may impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chair and the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, following the October elections. In an interview with the Georgian editorial staff of Voice of America, Kramer described the recent US Treasury Department sanctions against Georgian citizens as “a sharp escalation” of American measures.
Kramer highlighted the new sanctions, which include financial penalties on four individuals, including two senior law enforcement officials, and visa restrictions on 60 others, mark a “significant shift” from previous State Department visa-related sanctions. He attributed the escalation to what he views as “harmful actions: by the Georgian Dream party and its leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“The responsibility for the current situation rests with the Georgian Dream, the government, and Bidzina Ivanishvili,” Kramer claimed. He criticized the Georgian administration for adopting policies “reminiscent of Russian legislation, targeting the LGBTQ+ community, and engaging in hostile actions against American officials”.
Kramer suggested that the US might reserve additional sanctions until after the elections, especially if issues arose concerning election integrity or the suppression of opposition.
Former US Ambassador to Georgia, William Courtney, supported this view, indicating that the sanctions could serve as a warning against potential electoral fraud. Courtney compared the situation in Georgia to that of Belarus under Alexander Lukashenko and expressed concern about human rights violations and the risk of rigged parliamentary elections.
