Shota Martinenko, one of the leaders of the pro-Russian and violent group Alt-Info, stated that the U.S. sanctions against Zurab Makharadze and Konstantine Morgoshia represent a "very serious" financial blow to the organization as a whole.
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"Maybe no one had a strong desire or plan to go to America, and perhaps we don’t have a lot of wealth either, but Koka [Konstantine Morgoshia] is a businessman, and what he operates, Alt-Info, relies heavily on financial support. These sanctions are not merely a visa freeze. They are financial sanctions imposed on all financial activities and represent one of the most severe forms of sanctions. Any firm or organization associated with them will be at risk of sanctions, and any bank that serves them will face the threat of sanctions," Martinenko said on the air of Alt-Info.
According to him, the sanctions against Makharadze and Morgoshia will lead to a "serious reduction" in Alt-Info's resources.
"Koka Morgoshia is engaged in business, and this business has been sustaining 'Alt-Info' since its inception. He did not have the opportunity to reach the end of this case, but now, generally speaking, there are serious financial losses and significant barriers. You are being targeted by the most powerful state in the world, and no one knows what further escalation might occur. There is a very high probability that changes in Europe will create problems for Zura and Koka.
This should not be seen as a trivial event. It is not at all minor. It is a very serious, financially heavy blow for us. The account shown on the screen is in Zura's name, and it is probably no longer active because, with these sanctions, all financial institutions serving Zura and Koka will face bankruptcy," said Martonenko.
In addition to high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the U.S. has sanctioned the leaders of Alt-Info as well. According to the Treasury Department, Konstantine Morgoshia used the media company Alt-Info, which he founded, to spread disinformation, hate speech, and threats. In July 2021 and 2023, he supported violent attacks on marginalized individuals peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly and led hundreds of his followers to storm NGO offices, as well as attack journalists and police officers.
As for Zurab Makharadze, he is noted as one of the loudest supporters of violence against peaceful demonstrators, having live-streamed the violence online and collected funds for it in 2021 and 2023. The Treasury Department states that on July 5, 2021, Makharadze led a group that was supposed to clear protesters from the area in front of the Parliament of Georgia and then ordered his followers, along with Morgoshia, to storm the offices of an NGO.
Financial sanctions freeze all property and property interests of sanctioned individuals in the United States or those owned or controlled by U.S. citizens. Additionally, financial institutions and other entities that transact with or engage in activities with sanctioned individuals may themselves be subject to sanctions.
