UK Sanctions Two Georgian TV Channels for Spreading Russian War Misinformation
The UK government has imposed sanctions on two pro-government television channels in Georgia, accusing them of spreading deliberately misleading information about Russia's war in Ukraine. The sanctions against Imedi and Postv form part of a new British package targeting 297 entities, introduced to mark the fourth anniversary of Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Channels Accused of Promoting False Narratives
Sir Keir Starmer’s government accused the channels of promoting false narratives about the war, including those that destabilise Ukraine or threaten its territorial integrity. It stated Imedi in particular had spread falsehoods casting Ukraine's government as "illegitimate" or a "puppet" of the West. One TV channel claimed Ukraine's government was a ‘puppet’ of the West, which the UK condemned as part of a pattern of Russian misinformation.
Broadcasters' Responses and Sanction Details
Imedi described the sanctions as "worthless" and said it would continue to serve the Georgian people. Postv founder Shalva Ramishvili condemned the decision in a Facebook post and suggested London had acted "because we're not saying that Ukraine is beating Russia." The sanctions include a freeze on assets and properties owned by the broadcasters in Britain and bar their owners from running other UK-based companies.
Georgia's Political Shift and Channel Ownership
Once among the more democratic and pro-Western of the successor states to emerge from the Soviet Union, Georgia has turned increasingly authoritarian since the war in Ukraine began and has deepened economic ties with Russia. Tbilisi has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine but has not imposed sanctions on Russia, to whom it lost a short war in 2008.
Imedi, until recently, was owned by Irakli Rukhadze, a Georgian-born U.S. citizen based in Britain. Rukhadze sold his shares in Imedi this month to a company called Prime Media Global, with the channel's current management receiving half of the shares, according to a notice on the website of Hunnewell Partners, a private equity firm of which Rukhadze is a founding partner.
Broader UK Sanctions Package
The sanctions come as the UK government also imposed its most extensive package of sanctions to date and targeted nearly 300 entities. The government announced on Tuesday that Transneft, one of the world's largest pipeline firms responsible for transporting over 80 per cent of Russia's crude exports, was specifically targeted to further diminish Moscow's energy revenues.
"The UK has today taken decisive action to disrupt the critical financing, military equipment and revenue streams that sustain Russia's aggression," foreign minister Yvette Cooper said in a statement. This latest round of penalties brings the total number of individuals, companies, and ships sanctioned under Britain's Russia regime to more than 3,000. Tuesday's package also included 48 oil tankers, identified as part of ongoing efforts to curb Russia's so-called "shadow fleet."
