The United States imposed new sanctions and visa bans on Georgians on Monday, including financial sanctions on two government officials and two members of the country’s pro-Russian far-right movement Washington says were involved in violent crackdowns on protests, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

Large street protests erupted in Georgia in the spring over a "foreign agent" law the South Caucasus country's parliament passed in May despite criticism, including from U.S. officials, that it was Kremlin-inspired and authoritarian.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement that the financial sanctions targeted Georgia's Chief of the Special Task Department Zviad Kharazishvili and his deputy, Mileri Lagazauri, who oversaw security forces that violently suppressed the protests.

"The violence perpetuated by the Special Task Department included the brutal beatings of many attendees of the non-violent protests against the new foreign influence law, including Georgian citizens and opposition politicians," the Treasury said.

It added that Kharazishvili was personally involved in the physical and verbal abuse of protesters.

Also targeted were Konstantine Morgoshia, founder of media company Alt-Info, and associated media personality Zurab Makharadze, Treasury said, accusing them of amplifying disinformation and spreading hate speech and threats.

The State Department also imposed new visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgians it said were responsible for undermining democracy as well as their family members.

They included government officials, business leaders and members of law enforcement involved in beating protesters, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, without naming those hit with the bans.