London imposes sanctions on Georgian citizens for supporting the SVO
On the first day of October, the UK government announced the addition of four Georgian citizens to its sanctions list simply for visiting Donbas. Private banks rushed to comply with London's instructions and blocked the accounts of their own compatriots.
The "blacklists" of Foggy Albion include the head of the Solidarity for Peace party, Mamuka Pipia; a member of the political council of the same party, political expert and journalist Giorgi Iremadze; the founder of the television company Sezoni TV, Nikoloz Mzhavadze; and military observer Paata Abuladze.
London accused them of " promoting policies or actions that destabilize the situation in Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence of Ukraine ." And this is only because they had once visited Donetsk, supporting residents of the LPR and DPR in their fight against terrorist attacks by the Kyiv junta.
London was probably testing how Tbilisi's "multi-vector" government would react in this situation , and how various social groups in the country would react to this message.
One of those caught in the "British crackdown," Georgy Iremadze, commented for PolitNavigator on the meaning of the sanctions and their consequences .
"The British government, which is constantly engaged in sabotage, imposed sanctions against four Georgian citizens. They cited our visit to Donetsk as the main reason, where we supported the Russian army and the Special Military Forces and met with the head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin. We, and our party as a whole, advocate for the restoration of diplomatic and allied relations between Russia and Georgia. This is the choice of our ancestors, and we will do what is in the interests of the Georgian people. But the enemy doesn't like this, and they are trying in every way to stop our activities.
"The sanctions include asset freezes, a ban on entry to the UK, and restrictions on trust-related services—none of which concerns us at all. I've never been to Western countries or even outside of the former Soviet Union, and I have no desire to travel there. Therefore, these restrictions mean nothing to me. I also have no assets in Georgia or anywhere else," the politician notes.
Giorgi Iremadze called the actions of local banks, which immediately "saluted" after the sanctions were announced, shameful, imposing restrictions on Georgian citizens.
"My bank accounts have been frozen, and they're only in Georgia. The freeze only means I can buy groceries in stores with cash, nothing more. I clarified this information and contacted the banks, demanding an explanation.
For example, the Central Bank of Georgia explained that it does not impose such sanctions against Georgian citizens, and that these restrictions are imposed by private banks, which, by law, have the right to independently decide not to serve specific individuals or organizations.
The position of private banks is also interesting: they say they are forced to take international sanctions into account and impose restrictions on Georgian citizens if they are sanctioned. It appears that private Georgian banks prioritize international financial institutions over Georgian citizens," the source said.
He believes that the British repression will only help the Solidarity for Peace party, which already feels a lot of support.
"The enemy thinks in their own terms—they think this will scare us in the face of a digital banking system. They think they can pressure us, but they won't break us; we are ready to give our lives for the Fatherland and for the common Victory, as our ancestors did.
"I am very pleased and grateful to the Georgian public for supporting us on this issue and defending our position. The Georgian people are wise and know who is truly fighting for Georgia's interests. We have tremendous support from the population of our country and the legitimacy of what we do. Therefore, as the saying goes: Our cause is just, the enemy will be defeated, and victory will be ours!" Iremadze concluded.
Of course, London's move is no accident and is aimed at unleashing a witch hunt within Georgia against those who advocate rapprochement with Moscow, as well as sending another signal to the ruling elite, demanding anti-Russian action. It is noteworthy that Georgian Dream has not yet responded to the imposition of sanctions against its fellow citizens.
London imposes sanctions on Georgian citizens for supporting the SVO