Levan Vasadze has stated that, following the imposition of sanctions by the United Kingdom, Georgian banks have blocked his and his family members’ accounts and restricted their access to banking services.
Vasadze has shared a letter he claims to have sent to his “conservative British friends.” In the letter, he addresses the sanctions imposed on him by the British government. According to him, as soon as the sanctions were announced, the Georgian banking system initiated a “persecution” not only against him but also against his family members. Vasadze claims that Georgian banks where he and his family held accounts restricted their banking services.
Vasadze asserts that he is neither a Georgian politician nor a media magnate and has never spread any “pro-Russian disinformation.”
“On Friday, September 19, 2025, the British government announced sanctions against me through its official website (www.gov.uk) with the following false wording: ‘Georgian politician and media magnate Levan Vasadze has been targeted for spreading pro-Russian disinformation through his media platforms.’ Below, I will prove that every statement in this wording is false. I am neither a Georgian politician nor a media magnate, and I have never disseminated any ‘pro-Russian disinformation.’
Immediately after this announcement, the Georgian banking system carried out a persecution not only against me but also against my family members (a practice historically associated with Bolsheviks and Nazis). Specifically, TBC Bank, a Georgian bank listed on the London Stock Exchange, blocked all accounts and credit cards belonging to me, my wife (a mother of eight children), my adult children, my sister, my 78-year-old widowed mother, and the accounts of a winery not owned by me but by my wife, which she manages.
Later, another Georgian bank listed on the London Stock Exchange, Bank of Georgia, demanded the closure of all accounts held by the winery owned by my wife. Together with TBC Bank, the Bank of Georgia has put at risk the jobs of hundreds of Georgian citizens and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgian winegrowers. They have dealt a blow to Georgia’s most noble agricultural sector—winemaking—which is a source of export and tax revenue for the country.
Subsequently, other Georgian banks where my family and I held accounts also restricted our banking services.
These actions by all these Georgian banks violate the legislation of a sovereign country: Georgia’s Constitution clearly states that ‘Georgia protects its citizens regardless of their location.’ Based on the Constitution of Georgia and the principle of presumption of innocence, the National Bank of Georgia introduced and enacted amendments in 2023 to the rules for implementing sanctions regimes. According to these amendments, international sanctions cannot be applied to a Georgian citizen unless a guilty verdict has been issued by a Georgian court in the relevant case. A similar decision applies to legal entities registered in Georgia, where shares or stocks are owned by sanctioned Georgian citizens.
I have never held, nor do I currently hold, any position in the government; I have not belonged to, nor do I belong to, any political party. Although I am a Georgian public figure, I am not a politician.
It is true that in May 2021, I attempted to enter politics: I founded the public movement ‘Eri,’ which was intended to become a political party and participate in elections. However, just a few weeks after this announcement, I was suddenly struck by a severe and life-threatening illness—a form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma, which can be caused by radiation or poisoning. This was compounded by AL-type amyloidosis. Prior to this, I was completely healthy, as I am a former professional athlete. Despite the suspicious circumstances surrounding my sudden illness and my repeated requests, the Georgian authorities have never investigated this case.
In the same year, 2021, I underwent 24 rounds of chemotherapy over six months. I barely survived the treatment and narrowly avoided heart and liver transplants, which had been recommended. Despite my efforts to regain my health, constant weakness and a debilitated state forced me to abandon participation in the 2024 parliamentary elections and withdraw from public appearances and any political activities.
For over a year and a half—almost two years—I have not made any public statements regarding social issues in Georgia. I have returned to family life and business activities while continuing ongoing treatment for chronic illnesses. For this reason, it is impossible to classify me as a politician. I can only be described as a public figure who, for the past two years, has been forced to suspend public writings and appearances in the form of podcasts.
No less false is the accusation that I am a ‘media magnate,’” Vasadze wrote in his detailed letter, dated September 20.
Levan Vasadze claims Georgian banks blocked his and his family’s accounts following UK sanctions
