Georgian Dream President Mikheil Kavelashvili has awarded high-ranking officials sanctioned by Western countries with the Order of Honor, recognizing their “special contribution to strengthening law and order.”
The officials, many of whom are from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, were nominated for the prestigious award by Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The recipients of the Order of Honor include:
Vakhtang Gomelauri – Minister of Internal Affairs
Shalva Bedoidze – First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Ioseb Chelidze – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Giorgi Butkhuzi – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Zviad Kharazishvili (Khareba) – Head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Sulkhan Tamazashvili – Head of the Tbilisi Police Department
Vazha Siradze – Head of the Patrol Police Department
Teimuraz Kupatadze – Head of the Central Criminal Police Department
Miller Lagazauri – Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Mirza Kezevadze – Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
The recognition of these officials comes amid ongoing tensions between Georgia and Western allies, as several of the awarded individuals have been sanctioned for alleged human rights violations.
Despite international criticism, the Georgian Dream government has reaffirmed its support for these officials, further deciding to fully compensate any financial losses they may suffer due to sanctions.
