Tsulukiani: I am sanctioned. Why Am I Considered Unacceptable? I Haven’t Done Anything Wrong

Tsulukiani likened the sanctions against her to the “yellow star”, a badge that the Nazi regime forced Jews to wear to separate them from the rest of the population, stigmatize, and humiliate.

“I am sanctioned. I didn't wear a brooch today, but let's assume that when I do, I wear a yellow star instead. If I assume the sanction as a yellow star, it means I am unacceptable.

Why am I considered unacceptable? I have not done anything wrong.

Is it because I am different? Is it because I hold a different opinion, disagree with you, criticise you, or use rhetoric that bothers you? I tell you that I am a European, a Georgian, who grew up with you in one Europe, sharing the same values. Mr Macron [French President Emmanuel Macron] is younger than me. He was a year behind me in my studies. Today, I believe something is not right, as if there is a virus in the organism. You don’t like that, so you have given me a label and imposed sanctions on me.” 

"The era of labels is coming in Europe. The era of labels is dangerous in every country," Tsulukiani told the propaganda TV channel “Imedi.”

Tea Tsulukiani did not rule out the possibility that sanctions might continue in the future. She mentioned that they will try to ensure that "some minister" is affected by this rather than an ordinary citizen.

“Our role is to ensure that, if these labels are to exist, they are for government officials and not for other citizens. Whether we will be able to achieve this next year or not is difficult to say in advance, but

We will do everything we can to ensure that restricting the visa-free regime and labelling people as unwelcome will impact, for example, the Vice Speaker of the Parliament or some minister, but not my neighbour, who is either a businessman or trying to set up his own small business, is young and has a future ahead of him,” Tsulukiani noted.

The United States, the United Kingdom and several European Union countries, primarily the Baltic states, have imposed visa and financial sanctions on more than 200 Georgian Dream government representatives. The identities of most of those sanctioned have been publicly disclosed.

The United States imposed visa restrictions on over 110 individuals, including members of the Georgian Dream party, parliament members, senior government and municipal officials, law enforcement and security personnel, corrupt business leaders, propagandists, some private citizens, and family members of all these individuals. Their identities were not revealed due to visa confidentiality laws

On December 27, 2024, the US imposed financial sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of Georgian Dream and a billionaire. Last year, following a violent crackdown on protests, the US added former Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, Zviad Kharazishvili (known as "Khareba"), the former director of the Department for Special Assignments, and Khareba’s deputies Milleri Lagazauri and Mirza Kezevadze to the Magnitsky List. All of these individuals were removed from their positions within a few months.

Germany has imposed an entry ban on 13 Georgian citizens who are "responsible for violence against protesters and members of the opposition."

The Czech government has sanctioned "five representatives of the Georgian regime"—the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, three judges, and a prosecutor—and has also suspended visa-free travel for Georgian citizens holding diplomatic and service passports.

Estonia has banned more than 100 current and former Georgian officials from entering the country, including the Georgian Dream Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze. It has also introduced visa restrictions on Lithuania and Latvia.