Georgian FM claims UK Ambassador couldn’t present evidence for TV sanctions

Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili on Thursday claimed the UK ambassador, Gareth Ward, was asked to provide the legal and factual basis for the UK government’s sanctions on Georgian TV channels Imedi and POSTV, but no evidence or documentation was presented.

“We asked the ambassador what these assessments are based on regarding the TV channels. I have not seen any evidence or document that would justify the sanctions on Imedi or POSTV. Nothing concrete was provided. I only heard the evaluations that the decision is based on, but I was not shown what these evaluations rely on - that we are supposedly strengthening Russia, weakening Ukraine, or somehow harming Ukrainian territorial integrity. These are allegations and assessments that we do not share,” Botchorishvili said.

She added that the sanctions constituted a direct attack on Georgian society. 

“I asked the ambassador what the purpose is of providing misleading information from the capital, which forms the basis for such decisions. This is a direct attack on Georgian society, and naturally, we cannot accept it or the notion that this decision contributes in any way to weakening Russia,” Botchorishvili said.