Tensions arose in Georgia as protestors gathered in front of a hotel after hearing that relatives of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were staying there in contravention of sanctions. Police had to evacuate the demonstrators, as reported by national television First Channel.
Increasingly Violent Protests
On Saturday, May 20, members of the opposition United National Movement party rallied outside the Kvareli Lake Hotel in Georgia's far northeast.
This comes as tensions are already high due to this week's resumption of flights between Georgia and Russia after a four-year hiatus, CNN reported. Georgia, which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has had to tread carefully between the desires of its pro-European population and the sway of its larger neighbor Russia.
Reporters on the scene stated Saturday was "tense" as demonstrators threw eggs at a van carrying Russian visitors as it departed the hotel.
Videos of police officers violently seizing demonstrators outside the hotel circulated online. Officers may be seen grabbing an activist by the neck in one clip.
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Sanctioned Russian Nationals in Georgia
Protests broke out after news outlets in Georgia reported that Lavrov's daughter, Ekaterina Vinokurova, had attended the wedding of her husband's brother. Vinokurova's husband is Alexandre Vinokourov.
In a Saturday conference, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said she had been notified by her Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, that Lavrov's family had departed the country. She did not say when exactly the relatives flew into or out of Georgia.
British, American, and Canadian sanctions have been placed on Vinokurova, while EU sanctions have been placed on her husband, Vinokourov.
Reportedly, President Zourabichvili was shocked to learn that Georgia's government had been unaware that "the daughter of the highest-ranking official, from Putin's immediate circle, who is under sanctions" had entered the country. She emphasized that they must identify everyone who enters the nation for security purposes.
She also suggested that the government use the list of Russian persons sanctioned by Georgia's allies as a means of defense.
In addition to sanctioning Lavrov, the UK government also blacklisted Polina Kovaleva last year, calling her Lavrov's stepdaughter even though the Russian foreign minister is not legally married to Kovaleva's mother.
It came after the Anti-Corruption Foundation, headed by Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, reported that Kovaleva had purchased a $5.8 million property in London's wealthy Kensington area at age 21.
After a year of restrictions, direct flights between Russia and Georgia resumed on Friday, May 19. Tensions quickly flared anew in Georgia this week.
