Acting Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis made the announcement on his social media on Monday. The said persons were denied entry into Lithuania „due to their responsibility for human rights abuses,“ he said on X.
The list of sanctioned persons includes former prime minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili, current Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri, the latter’s deputies Shalva Bedoidze, Ioseb Chelidze, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze and Giorgi Butkhuzi, Head of the Special Tasks Department Zviad Kharazishvili and his deputies Mileri Lagazauri and Mirza Kezevadze, Head of the Patrol Police Department Vaja Siradze and Head of the Central Criminal Police Department Teimuraz Kupatadze.
Last weekend, Landsbergis revealed that the Baltic States had agreed joint sanctions against Georgia.
Mass protests started to rock Georgia on Thursday, after new Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhizde of the ruling Georgian Dream party said his country would not pursue accession to the European Union until 2028.
Georgia officially gained EU candidate status in December 2023, along with Ukraine and Moldova.