TBILISI, December 13. /TASS/. The US decision to impose sanctions against Georgia is puzzling and pointless, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said at a briefing.

Papuashvili recalled that the outgoing US authorities ignored human rights violations in Georgia during Mikhail Saakashvili's rule (2004-2013). "The outgoing US administration was in power during the last years of Saakashvili's rule, when people were viciously tortured, free media suffered, and business racketeering became entrenched in the state system. There was no clear position from the US authorities, which are still in power today, let alone decision to impose sanctions against Georgia. In that regard, today's position of the outgoing US administration [on imposing sanctions] is puzzling and pointless," Papuashvili said.

The current US administration jailed the participants of the Capitol storming in January 2021, but did not respond to the attack on the Georgian parliament building, Papuashvili emphasized. "Apparently, the gods may do what the people may not," he concluded.

US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said on December 12 that US authorities decided to impose visa restrictions on about 20 people in Georgia, including high-ranking officials and lawmakers, for allegedly violating democratic norms and were preparing additional sanctions.