TV presenter Naniko Khazaradze of the sanctioned Imedi TV channel has announced that her cooperation with the broadcaster has ended. She shared this in a video posted on social media, without providing further details.
“My cooperation with the Imedi TV channel has ended. My cooperation with Globalcell has also concluded—hopefully, temporarily. I kindly ask you: do not call or write to me, you will not hear anything more from me on this subject. Everything is fine, life goes on, thank you, goodbye,” she stated.
For many years, Naniko Khazaradze was the face of Imedi TV. She hosted the program “Our Family”, and previously “Imedi Day” and a number of other shows.
18 MEPs called for an investigation into the work of the Imedi TV channel
Meanwhile, on February 24 of this year, the UK imposed sanctions against the Imedi TV and POSTV television companies. It was explained that the Georgian TV channels were sanctioned as “organizations involved in the dissemination of Russian disinformation.”
The sanctions imposed by London include asset freezes, a ban on asset management financial services, and director disqualification.
Prior to this, in early February, businessman Irakli Rukhadze announced that he had decided to “say goodbye” to the Imedi TV channel because “the goals have been achieved”—“the United National Movement and its satellite parties have virtually collapsed,” and “the danger of destabilization has been minimized.”
Rukhadze named Prime Media Global as the current owner of the pro-government Imedi TV channel—a company “that has been cooperating with Imedi in advertising sales for many years. This company will acquire 50% of Imedi, while the remaining 50% will become the property of Maka Lomidze and her four deputies.”
Georgian Dream MP Viktor Japaridze also relinquished his share in the management of POSTV, transferring it to Zaza Maridashvili 25 days before the UK sanctions. Temur Charelashvili and Shalva Ramishvili each own 24% of the television company’s shares, respectively.
On February 25, members of the supervisory board of the Imedi TV company resigned from their positions, with the corresponding applications submitted to the Public Registry of Georgia.
On the same day, two companies supporting the sanctioned TV stations were registered in the Public Registry.
Following a meeting with the British Ambassador regarding London’s sanctions against the Georgian TV companies Imedi TV and POSTV, Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili stated that during the 40-minute meeting, she did not hear any arguments that “would justify London’s decision regarding the Imedi and POSTV television companies.”
Ambassador Gareth Ward left the Georgian Foreign Ministry building without comment.
