The fundamental right to media freedom will be protected in both Imedi TV and POSTV, and we take full responsibility for this. No journalist will have a worse situation in any TV company; on the contrary, they will have full opportunity to exercise the fundamental right to media freedom and provide information to the public, - Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze told journalists regarding the sanctioning of TV companies.

According to him, on paper this is a violation of the fundamental right to media freedom, but in practice it will have no effect.

“These sanctions probably do not need any special comment. The situation that has developed in the European bureaucracy today is simply tragic, and the decision that we have seen is an expression of this tragic situation. Nothing is valued anymore in Great Britain, which was once considered the homeland of human rights and was considered fair. This is where the history of human rights in England begins. Historically and today, neither media freedom nor other basic human rights are valued in this country. The processes have led the European bureaucracy, including the British bureaucracy, to such a tragic situation, which is a very sad and tragic event. This is not series, it is shameful.

In 2007, many people, National Movement, were happy when the basic right to freedom of the media was violated for Imedi. There were a lot of agitated people then. The same people are agitated today. The violation of the rights of Imedi was effective then, in this case it is an absolutely futile attempt to restrict the basic right of media freedom for Imedi. On paper, this is, of course, a violation of the basic right of media freedom, but in practice it will have no effect. In this country, the state, the government are responsible for protecting basic human rights, including the basic right of media freedom. Until 2012, basic human rights were violated in this country, including the basic right of media freedom, a complete monopoly was formed, and in 2012, it was our government that ensured the basic right of media freedom, and of course, we are responsible for ensuring that no one violates this basic right. Basic human rights for television, including the basic right of media freedom, will be protected, and the basic right of media freedom will be protected for each journalist, both in the TV company Imedi and in POSTV. We take full responsibility for this. No journalist will be disadvantaged in any TV company, on the contrary, they will have full opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to freedom of the media and provide information to the public. The government is ultimately responsible for media freedom in this country,” Kobakhidze said.

For information, the UK has imposed sanctions on the TV companies Imedi and POSTV. According to the UK government, Imedi and POSTV were sanctioned as organizations involved in the spread of Russian disinformation. The sanctions imposed by the UK include asset freezes, a ban on financial asset management services, and the disqualification of the director. The sanctions document states that Imedi and POSTV are deliberately spreading misleading information about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to their audience, which is mainly represented in Georgia.