London-Based Firm Linked to Controversial Georgian Broadcaster Faces Scrutiny
Hunnewell Partners, a London-based investment firm, is facing questions regarding its connection to Irakli Rukhadze, owner of Imedi TV, a Georgian broadcaster described by critics as a “propaganda megaphone” for the ruling party. The scrutiny comes after journalist Will Neal was denied entry into Georgia, an action Hunnewell Partners claims it had no involvement in and learned of through media reports.
A Hunnewell spokesperson stated the firm “had no involvement whatsoever” in the denial of entry for Neal, adding they have “neither the desire nor the power to inconvenience a journalist” and “actively support and promote the principle of a free and autonomous press.” Georgia’s foreign affairs ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
The situation is unfolding against a backdrop of UK sanctions already imposed on some Georgian politicians, businessmen, and officials, including the country’s general prosecutor. However, civil society groups and opposition figures are calling for further action. They suggest the UK’s status as a financial haven gives it leverage over the Georgian government, especially regarding Bidzina Ivanishvili, who the 2021 Pandora Papers leak revealed had registered 12 companies in the British Virgin Islands between 1998 and 2016.
Hunnewell partners is a co-investor with a private equity fund founded by Ivanishvili in a Georgian cement company. Rukhadze himself is already subject to sanctions from Ukraine and Lithuania.
Hunnewell defends its association with Rukhadze,claiming current sanctions targeting him are the result of a “smear campaign” initiated by Georgian opposition figures and former President Mikheil Saakashvili,who they allege seized control of Imedi TV during his presidency. The firm argues the targeting of Rukhadze is an attempt to suppress the broadcaster due to its opposition to a potential return to power by those figures.
Regarding the business link to Ivanishvili, a Hunnewell spokesperson described it as an “indirect” relationship through a single investment in the cement company, characterizing it as “nothing very unusual, given [Ivanishvili’s] prominence in Georgian business.”
The firm also stated its directors have taken steps to ensure compliance with sanctions related to Russia, noting that Rukhadze has resigned from his 20-year position as a director of Rissa, a russian bottled water company.
the case has sparked debate about the UK’s commitment to Georgia’s democratic future. Sandro Kevkhishvili, anti-corruption programme manager at Openness International Georgia, questioned the British government’s position, stating Rukhadze, while not formally affiliated with the ruling Georgian Dream party, is a supporter and therefore a political actor.He suggested sanctions could be a viable response.
Giorgi Kandelaki, a researcher at the Soviet Past Research Laboratory, emphasized the broader geopolitical implications, arguing that Georgia’s democratic trajectory is crucial, stating, “What is unfolding in Georgia is not just another instance of democratic backsliding…Georgia’s trajectory carries a profound geopolitical weight: a nation once counted among the west’s most committed allies is now being taken over by the enemies of freedom.”
