
US’s Joe Wilson and UK’s James MacCleary Call for British Sanctions on Ivanishvili
In a joint letter published on January 30, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman, Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, and British MP James MacCleary called on British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to swiftly impose sanctions on the patron and honorary chairman of GD party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, and to formally suspend the UK’s strategic partnership with Georgia.
The transatlantic initiative “from opposite sides” of the political spectrum follows the United States’ decision to sanction Ivanishvili in December 2024. The lawmakers emphasized that UK sanctions “could have a decisive impact” given that Ivanishvili and his associates reportedly hold “substantial assets through UK-based companies.”
The letter specifically highlights concerns about “Ivanishvili’s primary propaganda outlet Imedi TV”, noting that it operates under a UK-registered company.
Labeling Ivanishvili “the oligarchic oppressor” the letter stresses that his Georgian Dream party “has stripped an entire nation of its democratic rights, allowing Georgia to drift ever further into Putin’s pocket.” Wilson and MacCleary express alarm over “democratic backsliding in Georgia,” citing “violent suppression of opposition voices and the persecution of journalists.”
The authors of the letter emphasized that “the challenge posed by the Georgian oligarch, Bidzina Ivanishvili, requires a united, transatlantic, and cross-party response.” Recalling that the U.S. imposed sanctions on Ivanishvili in December 2024 the letter notes that “in the spirit of transatlantic cooperation and respect for democracy, the UK must now follow suit.”
The lawmakers also draw parallels with the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, urging Britain to demonstrate similar resolve in “upholding international law” and maintaining its position as “a global leader in the fight for peace and democracy.”
Lord Mike German, Baron German a member of the UK House of Lords and Liberal Democrat Party, talked to RFE/RL Georgian bureau that the British government is now prepared to consider the possibility of sanctioning Ivanishvili. German said that along with some colleagues, he issued the letter to the Minister for Europe [of the UK] on Ivanishvili.
“Whether Mr. Ivanishvili can be seen in the same light as Belarus, Russian, or Ukrainian oligarchs, that’s something which the British government is going to have to consider. And if that is the conclusion of the British government, then that would basically mean freezing his assets – you put them in the fridge and you say you can’t operate those until conditions with democracy are improved,” he stated.
The joint letter represents the latest in a series of decisive moves by Joe Wilson to respond to the democratic backsliding in Georgia. Wilson previously introduced the MEGOBARI Act (Megobari means friend in Georgian) in the U.S. House of Representatives, which calls for sanctions against Georgian officials deemed responsible for undermining democracy.
Following the U.S. Treasury’s December 27 decision to sanction Ivanishvili for “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation,” Wilson has continued his advocacy for supporting democracy in Georgia. In a December 30 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, he pushed for extending sanctions to Ivanishvili’s family members and associates, while calling for dismantling “Georgian sanctions evasion schemes.”
The news was updated on January 31, 6:50 p.m., to include the position of Lord Mike German.
Also Read:
- 10/01/2025 – “Georgia on Your Mind” Event Discusses Stakes in Georgia and Importance of Western Action
- 04/01/2025 – Helsinki Commission Leaders Reintroduce MEGOBARI Act in Congress
- 30/11/2024 – BREAKING: U.S. Suspends Strategic Partnership with Georgia
- 11/07/2024 – BREAKING: U.S. MEGOBARI Act Passes Committee, Poised for House Vote
- 05/07/2024 – BREAKING: U.S. ‘Indefinitely’ Postpones Noble Partner Exercise in Georgia
- 06/06/2024 – BREAKING: US State Department Implements First Tranche of Sanctions against Georgian Individuals
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