British authorities have sanctioned two Georgia-linked figures, former Prosecutor-General Otar Partskhaladze and ultra-conservative politician Levan Vasadze, citing their support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The sanctions against the two include asset freeze, director disqualification sanctions, travel ban, and trust services sanctions.
Partskhaladze, once seen as a close associate of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and reportedly holding Russian citizenship, has previously been sanctioned by the U.S., which cited his alleged ties to Russian intelligence (FSB). Levan Vasadze, formerly an active right-wing figure in Georgian politics with purported connections in Russia, has largely retreated from public life since 2021, citing health issues and medical treatment in Moscow.
“Latest UK sanctions target Georgia’s hidden supporters of Russia,” the British government said in a September 19 press release. The statement said that the sanctions “come amid increasing Russian influence in Georgia” and the move “tightens pressure on Russia’s international support network.”
According to the British authorities, Vasadze, described as “Georgian politician and media mogul,” is targeted for “using his platforms to pump out pro-Russian disinformation,” while noting that “businessman” Partskhaladze “has extensive links to Russia and to the highest levels of the Georgian Dream party.”
According to the UK sanctions database, Partskhaladze was sanctioned over his involvement “in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by working as a director of the Moscow Business Brokerage, which carries on business in sectors of strategic significance to the Government of Russia, namely the Russian financial services and construction sectors.”
According to the same database, Vasadze “is or has been involved in providing support or promoting any policy or action which destabilises Ukraine or undermines or threatens the territorial integrity, sovereignty or independence of Ukraine.”
“Putin’s war machine relies on an international web to spread lies and fund this network,” the statement cited Stephen Doughty, UK Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories. “We’re cutting off another lifeline by targeting and deterring those in Georgia who provide support for Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.”
According to the statement, two oil tankers were also sanctioned “for transporting Russian oil to the Georgian port of Batumi, as part of the ‘shadow fleet’– a collection of decrepit and dangerous vessels used by the Kremlin in a desperate attempt to cling onto their energy revenues, the number one source of funding for the illegal war in Ukraine.” The ships will now be barred from entering UK ports and refused access to the UK Ship register, the press release noted.
“As Russia’s war footing weakens, the Kremlin is increasingly looking to proxies in third countries to support its war and propaganda operations, including in Georgia,” the statement reads.
The press release further noted that the sanctions follow “the UK downgrading its ties with Georgia in 2024,” which came in response to the ruling Georgian Dream party “enforcing Kremlin-inspired laws, cracking down on civil society, and imprisoning opposition politicians.”
In April 2024, British authorities sanctioned four Georgian officials, including the then-prosecutor general, over human rights abuses, as well as two senior judges over “corruption”. Another series of Georgia sanctions came in December 2024, with the UK sanctioning five senior Interior Ministry officials, including then-GD Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, over the crackdown on demonstrators, civil society, media, and opposition figures in December 2024.
Otar Partskhaladze has been known as a member of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s inner circle; Bera Ivanishvili, the billionaire’s rapper son, is reportedly the godfather of Partskhaladze’s grandchild. He was appointed Prosecutor General in November 2013 but resigned less than two months later amid questions about his diploma and reports of a criminal record. Since then, his name has repeatedly surfaced in controversies involving corruption, violence, and connections to criminal groups. In September 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned him, with the State Department citing his efforts to influence Georgian society and politics in coordination with an FSB officer. He reportedly has obtained Russian citizenship. More recently, there has been speculation that he has fallen out of favor with Ivanishvili, particularly following the brief arrest of businessman Giorgi Ramishvili, who is known to have close ties to Partskhaladze.
Levan Vasadze, an ultra-conservative businessman educated in Russia, became more actively involved in Georgian politics following the 2020 elections, mobilizing anti-LGBT activism and rallying far-right groups. He was known to rely heavily on networks facilitated by Russia and counted Russian ideologue Aleksandr Dugin as a personal friend. During this active phase in 2021, Vasadze founded the conservative public movement Unity, Essence, Hope, and launched the media platform Eri Media. Later that same year, however, he abruptly disappeared from the public scene, citing health issues and announcing that he had moved to Moscow for treatment. Although he continued to co-host a talk show on Eri Media in the following years, both he and the platform gradually became passive and largely forgotten.
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