February 27, 2026 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

Imedi TV said it will launch its own “Imedi Bank” within “a few months,” with financial backing from the broadcaster’s “loyal friends and sponsors,” days after being sanctioned by the UK for spreading “Russian disinformation.”

Sanctioned on February 24 along with POSTV, another major pro-government channel, Imedi said on February 27 that it will have “no kind of problem, including financial,” amid wider discussions suggesting that British sanctions could severely impact the channels.

The broadcaster thanked companies and organizations that “expressed solidarity” and those that “stated Imedi will continue to have their financial support.”

The statement added that several banks, “despite possible difficulties,” have “expressed readiness” to provide banking services to the broadcaster.

Imedi said it is “fully aware of the potential risks for their business,” including reputational and financial, and added that it “certainly does not want to put any of them under pressure or trigger a hunt by forces that, with direct involvement, have attacked free media and freedom of speech for the second time since 2007.”

“Imedi TV is born for victory,” the statement added, saying it continues to work “with tripled energy” and will ensure salaries are paid, even raised, and other financial obligations are met “without any delays.”

“In addition, we inform the public that we, the new founders of the Imedi holding, with financial support from the broadcaster’s loyal friends and sponsors, will establish our own bank, called “Imedi Bank,” in the shortest possible time, within just a few months,” the statement concluded.

Calling the statement about launching its own bank “ridiculous,” economist and former president of the National Bank of Georgia, Roman Gotsiridze, said this cannot happen without a license from the National Bank. He added that the broadcaster could only create what he called a “bank of black money,” where “wealthy sponsors usually deposit cash.”

In a separate Facebook post, Gotsiridze added, “If anyone thinks of creating a microbank, which the law allows and would serve only Imedi in lari, this would be a direct involvement of the National Bank in circumventing sanctions, putting the country’s financial system at great risk.”

On February 25, National Bank President Natia Turnava said the activities of Georgia’s commercial banks are “subject to the Constitution of Georgia and national legislation,” and in case of conflict with another jurisdiction, banks “are obliged to act in accordance with the norms established by the [Georgian] Constitution and legislation.”

Experts have suggested that the sanctioned channels may encounter serious banking problems, particularly with TBC and Bank of Georgia, Georgia’s two major commercial banks listed on the London Stock Exchange, adding that other banks may also refrain from cooperation due to indirect risks associated with international transactions.

In parallel developments, after being down for several hours, Imedi TV said on February 26 that its websites were inaccessible due to “a technical problem caused by the sanctions,” but service has now been fully restored. Some social media users suggested the Imedi websites had relocated their server to Russia.

Meanwhile, Georgian Dream vows to take “full responsibility” for defending the sanctioned channels.

On February 27, UK Ambassador Gareth Ward was summoned to Georgia’s Foreign Ministry over the sanctions. The ministry said after the meeting with FM Maka Botchorishvili that the sanctions are “unfounded” and “a blatant attack on Georgian society.”

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