Georgian MP Viktor Japaridze has sold his majority stake in the pro-government channel POSTV for GEL 1,000 (about USD 385), media reports say. Public registry documents back the sale. Britain sanctioned the channel on 24 February over alleged “Russian disinformation”.
The buyer is Giorgi Shengelia, a businessman who already manages the shares. Japaridze sits in Parliament for People’s Power, a party founded by former Georgian Dream lawmakers. He has not commented publicly on the sale, according to the reports reviewed by Times of Georgia.
What the registry shows
Business registry documents show that Shengelia has bought Japaridze’s 52% share. Georgian business outlet Bm.ge reported the price on Thursday, 15 October. It said the paperwork has gone to the National Agency of Public Registry. No completion date is given.
The price is tiny next to what Japaridze paid. He bought the controlling stake on 3 October 2022 for GEL 520,000, according to Georgia Today. That year he also left Georgian Dream to join People’s Power.
Japaridze, 59, entered Parliament on Georgian Dream’s party list in the disputed 2024 election. He remains an MP.
Who owns POSTV now
The sale changes the ownership of the channel. It now has three shareholders:
- Giorgi Shengelia: 52%
- Shalva Ramishvili: 24%. He is the channel’s anchor and a controversial media figure.
- Temur Charelishvili: 24%
Shengelia owns more than the stake. He also holds all the shares in Supporters of POSTV LLC. Records show he registered the company on 25 February, one day after the UK announced its sanctions. Transparency International Georgia reported that a similar company, Supporters of Imedi, appeared the same day. At the time, the timing raised suspicion that the firms existed to help the channels handle the sanctions.
Why the UK sanctioned POSTV
The UK sanctioned POSTV and Imedi TV on 24 February, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. London listed both as entities “involved in Russian disinformation”, JAMnews reported.
The British government said the broadcasters regularly pushed false narratives about Ukraine. These included claims that Ukraine’s leaders are illegitimate and that Ukraine and the West seek to destabilise Georgia. The Foreign Office said there are “reasonable grounds to suspect” that both channels deliberately spread misleading information about the invasion.
Georgian officials rejected the move. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the sanctions “absurd” and alleged coordination with “local agents”, Georgia Today reported. Imedi said British sanctions “hold no value”.
What the sanctions mean
The measures include an asset freeze, a ban on trust services and director disqualification, OC Media reported. Banks with UK links must stop serving the sanctioned companies. UK lawyers and accountants cannot set up or manage trusts for them. Sanctioned individuals cannot act as directors of UK-registered companies.
Timeline
| Date | Development |
| 3 October 2022 | Japaridze buys the controlling stake for GEL 520,000. |
| Late January 2026 | Japaridze hands management of his shares to Zaza Maridashvili, a former Kaspi deputy mayor. |
| 6 February | Businessman Irakli Rukhadze says he is selling the shares of pro-government TV Imedi. |
| 24 February | The UK sanctions POSTV and Imedi TV. |
| 25 February | Shengelia registers Supporters of POSTV LLC. |
| 22–23 September | Shengelia becomes the manager of the 52% stake in the registry, according to Georgia Today. |
| 15 October | Media report that Japaridze has sold the stake for GEL 1,000. |
Questions over the timing
The sale follows months of questions about the stake. Japaridze first moved the management of his shares in late January, about 25 days before the sanctions. He told OC Media that he acted because Georgian rules bar MPs from running businesses. Asked about the sanctions, he did not say whether he knew about them in advance.
At the time, he also said he had not given up his shares and did not plan to. The sale now shows a different outcome.
Transparency International Georgia said the corporate changes around Imedi and POSTV “raise reasonable suspicions” of prior knowledge of the sanctions. The group noted that any help with circumvention could expose firms to secondary sanctions. No court or regulator has ruled on those suspicions.
Imedi took a similar step
Businessman Irakli Rukhadze said on 6 February that he was selling Imedi, weeks before the UK announced its sanctions. Reports also put that price at a symbolic GEL 1,000 (USD 385). Rukhadze did not answer OC Media’s questions about the timing.
Both channels back the government, and both now sit under UK measures. Ownership of each has changed since February.
What is still unclear
Several questions remain open. Neither Japaridze nor Shengelia has explained why the price was so low. Reports do not say whether the transfer is complete in the registry. Nor is it clear how the sale affects the UK listing. Georgia Today notes that the list names Japaridze as the 52% owner.
Advertisers are another open point. Transparency International Georgia found that dozens of local and international brands advertised on Imedi and POSTV when the sanctions came. Contracts are not public, and the group says it will keep monitoring the issue.
The wider political context
Politics in Georgia is tense as the sale emerges. The Constitutional Court has started hearing a case on banning opposition parties, a backgrounder from Civil Georgia explains. An opposition alliance has announced a rally on 25 October in response.
Media regulation is also in the news. The Communications Commission has fined TV Pirveli a second time over alleged content violations. An EU report has noted significant backsliding of Georgia’s democracy. More coverage is in the Georgia section.
With information from Civil.ge, Bm.ge, Georgia Today, OC Media, JAMnews and Transparency International Georgia.
