Georgian Parliament majority leader slams UK sanctions on Imedi TV, POSTV, urges Britain to address its own problems

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Tuesday issued a sharp response to the British government’s decision to impose sanctions on Georgian television channels Imedi and POSTV.

In a social media message, Kirtskhalia dismissed the decision as “absurd” and accused the UK government of mirroring what he described as the “fake standards” of the BBC.

He suggested that the British government should focus on its own internal challenges - citing economic stagnation and migration issues - rather than “interfering with freedom of speech” in another country.

“The UK government has announced sanctions against the television channels Imedi and PostV, along with its so-called justification, which is so absurd that making a serious comment on it would be pointless. It is clear that the same so-called fake news standards applied at the BBC are now operating within the UK government itself. Processes like these are precisely why the UK government today enjoys extremely low approval ratings in its own country”, Kirtskhalia said.

“Instead of interfering in freedom of speech in another country, the British authorities would be better off addressing their own problems, which are numerous -ranging from economic stagnation in recent years to severe migration challenges. Events are developing in such a way that, with high probability, soon there may be neither Great nor Britain left, which is a matter of real concern and regret”, he continued.

The official further claimed that “the UK government not only justifies violations of media freedom abroad but also directly undermines media freedom at home, which is characteristic of the deep state”.

“Former UK prime minister Liz Truss has openly stated that her country is today controlled by a deep state - the same force whose government intervened in Georgia’s Imedi TV on November 7, 2007. It appears that the deep state began exerting influence over Britain as early as 2007, as we all recall that the UK government at the time made no comments about Imedi. Today, the UK government not only justifies violations of media freedom abroad but also directly undermines media freedom at home, which is characteristic of the deep state”, he added.

Kirtskhalia concluded by wishing the British people well, expressing hope that the United Kingdom would eventually “regain its former glory” and return to a time when national identity and democratic values were held in high regard.