According to the UK government, the two companies were designated as “organizations involved in the spread of Russian disinformation,” News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
The sanctions package includes an asset freeze, restrictions on trust services, and director disqualification.
Under the asset freeze, all funds and economic resources belonging to sanctioned individuals or entities that are held in the United Kingdom are frozen. Individuals and legal entities in the UK are prohibited from conducting transactions with designated persons or acquiring their assets. No one in the UK may directly or indirectly make funds available to them.
The trust services restrictions prohibit UK nationals, as well as individuals and legal entities operating in the United Kingdom, including lawyers and consultants, from managing assets or providing services to sanctioned persons or companies.
In addition, the owners or directors of the designated companies are barred from managing companies in the United Kingdom.
According to official information published on the British government’s website, both broadcasters have “deliberately disseminated misleading information about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine” and supported narratives aimed at destabilizing Ukraine and undermining its territorial integrity.
Specifically, the two outlets are said to “regularly publish content portraying the Ukrainian government and President Zelensky as illegitimate, describing Ukraine as a ‘puppet’ of the West, claiming that Ukraine is a corrupt country, and alleging that Ukraine and the West are seeking to destabilize Georgia.”
Georgian media immediately linked the sanctions to the unexpected departure of businessman Irakli Rukhadze from Imedi. In February, he announced the sale of the television channel for a symbolic 1,000 lari. The new owner is Ilia Mikelaishvili, together with five employees of the channel.
As for POSTV, 52 percent of its shares are owned by Viktor Japaridze, leader of the People’s Power party, which split from Georgian Dream. Another 24 percent belong to Shalva Ramishvili, and the remaining 24 percent to Temur Charelashvili.
In response, Imedi issued a statement rejecting the sanctions.
“For more than 22 years, Imedi has served Georgia and freedom of speech in the country. The British sanctions have no value whatsoever,” the broadcaster said.
“The only real assessment of Imedi is the trust of the Georgian people. Thanks to this trust, the channel has for many years maintained its status as the highest-rated television station in Georgia,” the statement added.
The broadcaster also referred to events in 2007, when, under the previous authorities, special forces entered the Imedi building.
“It is worth recalling that at the time of the takeover of Imedi in 2007, the British authorities did not even express general concern. Moreover, after 2007, the British authorities continued to demonstrate support for a criminal regime that trampled on democracy, human rights, and freedom of speech in Georgia,” the statement said.
