UK ambassador failed to provide evidence for sanctions on Georgian TV channels, FM says

The British ambassador to Georgia, Gareth Ward, did not present any evidence or documents to justify the UK’s sanctions against the Georgian television channels Imedi and POSTV, Foreign Minister Maka Bochorishvili said following a meeting with the diplomat on Thursday.

Ward was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for clarification “so that he could present the basis for the decision taken in London.” He spent just under an hour at the ministry and left without speaking to the media, News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

“For 40 minutes of discussion, I did not hear a single concrete argument from the ambassador that could justify the decision made in London,” Bochorishvili said.

The minister added that the UK authorities appeared to rely on “information coming from Tbilisi”: “It is difficult to imagine that someone in London watches POSTV or Imedi and makes decisions on that basis.”

She also criticized the reasoning presented by Ward, saying it lacked supporting evidence. “I heard assessments on which this decision is allegedly based, but I did not hear what these assessments are grounded in – that we supposedly strengthen Russia, weaken Ukraine, or somehow threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity through Georgian society. These are accusations we do not accept. These are assessments we cannot share. Evidence is required,” Bochorishvili said.

The minister described the sanctions as part of “pressure on Georgian society” and an example of “unfair treatment of the Georgian government.” She declined to comment on Tbilisi’s next steps, saying only that authorities “will continue to cooperate with the British side.”

“It's difficult for me to speak about possible consequences. We will wait and see if the British side provides any concrete information,” she added.

The sanctions, announced by London on February 24, target Imedi and POSTV, two leading pro-government channels in Georgia. They were part of a package of measures marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The UK government accused the broadcasters of disseminating disinformation about the war, including reports capable of destabilizing Ukraine or threatening its territorial integrity.

The measures freeze the channels’ assets in the UK, prohibit their owners from managing British companies, and restrict international transactions, complicating dealings with foreign partners.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze condemned the UK decision as “shameful” and an attack on freedom of speech, pledging to take “all necessary measures” to protect the interests of the broadcasters.

News.Az 

By Emil Kaziyev