British Ambassador Summoned to Foreign Ministry Over Imedi, POSTV Sanctions

British Ambassador Gareth Ward was summoned to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry on February 26 over the United Kingdom’s decision to sanction two pro-government television channels, Imedi TV and POSTV.

“We have had communication with the British side,” Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili told the pro-government broadcaster Rustavi 2 on February 25. “Tomorrow I expect that the British ambassador will come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We will request clarification as to what the grounds are for such a decision.”

“In addition to the fact that we are talking about freedom of speech and standards of freedom of speech, and this concerns the media, when it comes to sanctions, very strong legal grounds are required,” Botchorishvili said.

Calling the decision “cynical,” the GD minister questioned how sanctioning two Georgian television channels could be viewed as a step toward defeating Russia.

“How can we seriously view this as the West, in this case Great Britain, seeing the sanctioning of two Georgian television channels as a path to victory over Russia?” she said.

The United Kingdom announced the sanctions on February 24 as part of a broader package of measures targeting Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the British government’s announcement, Imedi TV and POSTV were designated as entities “involved in Russian disinformation” and accused of spreading “deliberately misleading information” about the war that undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The sanctions include asset freezes, trust services restrictions, and director disqualification measures.

Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze expressed backing for Imedi TV and POSTV following the sanctions, saying journalists at the outlets would not be negatively affected. “No journalist at any [sanctioned] TV company will face worse conditions,” he told reporters on February 25, adding that they would retain full ability to inform the public and that the government “is fully responsible for press freedom.”

Botchorishvili Questions Basis for London’s Decision

Following the summons, Maka Botchorishvili told reporters that the ministry had asked the British ambassador to clarify the grounds for the decision taken in London.

Botchorishvili said the ministry “asked the ambassador what those assessments they are making are based on,” noting she has “not seen any evidence or any document” that would justify this decision. “Naturally, nothing specific was presented,” she noted.

“I want concrete examples, which I did not hear from the ambassador,” Botchorishvili said. “For 40 minutes, I did not hear a single argument that would justify the decision taken by London.”

“Of course, this is naturally information that comes from Tbilisi. Otherwise, we cannot imagine that someone in London who makes decisions is watching TV channels such as Imedi TV or POSTV,” she said.

The Georgian Dream FM said she heard “only the assessments on which the decision is based,” but not the evidence supporting claims that Georgia was allegedly strengthening Russia, weakening Ukraine or that Georgian society was undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“These are accusations that we do not share. These are assessments that we cannot accept. They require evidence,” she said.

No comment was made to the media by Gareth Ward. Video footage showed the U.K. ambassador leaving the meeting without speaking to reporters.

Foreign Ministry Issues Press Release

The Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release later in the evening saying that during the meeting, Botchorishvili requested “detailed clarification” regarding the “grounds and evidence” behind the UK’s decision to sanction the two channels, which the ministry said was “believed to have been communicated to London from Tbilisi.” The ministry described the decision as “unfounded” and “a blatant attack on Georgian society.”

The press release said attention was drawn to “the necessity of providing materials supporting the decision,” with Botchorishvili stating the sanctions “undermined the partnership between Georgia and the United Kingdom and do not serve the declared objectives of the sanctions packages.”

“The Minister underlined that the unfounded sanctioning of Georgian television companies constitutes an attack on media freedom, which is also unacceptable for Georgia, where the free operation of diverse media outlets are safeguarded,” the press release said, adding, “The parties reaffirmed the importance of continuing constructive dialogue on issues pertaining to relations between Georgia and the United Kingdom.”

Note: The news was updated on February 26 at 14:10 to include comments by Maka Botchorishvili following the summons of the British ambassador to Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and at 23:10 to include the Foreign Ministry’s press release.

Also Read:

• 26/02/2026 – Board Members Rush to Leave Imedi as UK-Sanctioned Broadcasters Face Chaos
• 20/12/2024 – MFA Summons UK Ambassador Over Sanctions Imposed on Georgian Officials
• 25/09/2025 – Georgian Foreign Ministry Summons British Ambassador Gareth Ward
• 16/05/2025 – GD Ideologue Suggests Slimming Foreign Embassies, Curbing Diplomats