GRASS Disinfo Brief – November 21 – 27
11 December, 2023
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- Georgian Dream scales down anti-EU rhetoric, however, continues polarising statements against political opponents
- Georgian Dream criticises United National Movement as the opposition party marked 20th anniversary of the Rose Revolution
- Georgian Dream continues attacks on President Zourabichvili
- Conspiracy-filled narratives claim Western integration will lead Georgia to its demise
- Propaganda asserts that direct relations are needed with Russia to ensure Georgia’s survival
- Propaganda paints the US as source of evil for Georgia and the world
Georgian Dream scales down anti-EU rhetoric, however, continues polarising statements against political opponents
Following the European Commission's endorsement of granting Georgia candidate status on November 8th, there appears to be a noticeable decrease in the ruling party's dissemination of narratives aimed at Georgia's Western partners. This stands in stark contrast to the period preceding the European Commission's announcement, during which leaders of the Georgian Dream party were actively pushing the "Global War Party" narrative and accusing the EU and the US of fostering extremism. Their previous rhetoric also indirectly implied that the West was provoking a revolution in Georgia (See previous editions of GRASS Disinfo Brief). Since November 8th, the Georgian Dream has been sustaining harsh rhetoric predominantly towards President Zourabichvili and opposition parties, claiming that they play a negative role in Georgia’s pursuit of EU membership. GRASS will continue to monitor the leading narrative in the political specter and offer you weekly Disinfo briefs.
Georgian Dream criticises United National Movement as the opposition party marked 20th anniversary of the Rose Revolution
- Chairperson of the Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the Rose Revolution has brought the following – systemic practice of violating human rights, systematically torturing people, racketeering businesses, ransacking TV networks an monopolising the information space, transferring 20% of Georgian territory to Russia, total election fraud, etc. According to Kobakhidze, because of this legacy and the fact that many people lost their lives because of the UNM government, celebrating the anniversary of the Rose Revolution is a plain insolence. In a different statement, Kobakhidze argued that opposition parties – Lelo, Girchi, For Georgia and others are the same as the UNM, they have the same roots and represent “the collective UNM”.
- Chairperson of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili stated that since the UNM is celebrating an anniversary, it is a good moment for them to release a manifest of dissolution as it would be the best thing they could do for the Georgian people. Moreover, Papuashvili spoke about the Rose Revolution, underlining that it illustrated how revolutions bring bad results for the country. The previous government established an autocratic rule, thus any type of celebration is a mocking to the victims of Saakashvili’s regime. According to the Chairperson of the Parliament, until the UNM recognises its crimes committed against the Georgian people, it has no future as a political party. In a separate instance, Papuashvili argued that Saakashvili was snuck into Georgia by foreign intelligence services, in particular, by Gia Lortkipanidze, Deputy Head of Counterintelligence of Ukraine. Saakashvili was brought to Georgia to sow division and chaos in the country, and these attempts are continuing against the backdrop of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine.
- Chairperson of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, Mikheil Sarjveladze underscored that the government formed after the Rose Revolution harmed many families and caused huge tragedies. According to him, a large part of society does not see anything celebratory about the events of November 2003.
- MP and the member of the People’s Power movement, Dimitri Khundadze claimed that the UNM should pay for the crimes it committed against Georgia. In the written statement, Khundadze argues that the entire opposition specter is operating under the auspices of the UNM, and the celebration of the Rose Revolution is an insult to the majority of the people and proves that the UNM is not sorry for its difficult past. According to Khundadze, the UNM has never expressed regret for killing innocent people in the streets, torturing prisoners, losing territories and abandoning soldiers on the frontlines, stealing from the state budget, and repressing freedom of speech.
Georgian Dream continues attacks on President Zourabichvili
- Irakli Kobakhidze stated that Salome Zourabichvili is a part of “the collective UNM” and therefore, it is hard to predict whether or not she will pardon Mikheil Saakashvili. According to Kobakhidze, it is clear that Zourabichvili is completely dependent on “specific forces” that can make her do anything.
- Shalva Papuashvili was asked if he thinks President Zourabichvili will pardon Lazare Grigoriadis, who was arrested after the March 7-8th demonstrations held against the Russian-styled “Foreign Agents Law”. According to Papuashvili, it is important for the court to establish whether or not this individual is guilty, as the Georgian people deserve to know who was the first person in Georgia’s history to throw a Molotov cocktail at people. As for the President, Papuashvili claimed that since she is in the habit of violating the Constitution, there is no knowing what decision she might make. In a different statement, Papuashvili criticised the President for saying that hearing the Russian language is irritable for Georgian people, assessing it as xenophobic. “There are 10 000 Georgian citizens whose native language is Russian. Underlining nationality, ethnicity is xenophobic, which is despicable”, stated Papuashvili.
- Executive Secretary of the Georgian Dream, Mamuka Mdinaradze also took shots at the President, suggesting that she and the United National Movement are following the same line, which does not exclude the possibility of her pardoning Mikheil Saakashvili. According to Mdinaradze, if she does make that decision, she can take the responsibilities of Saakashvili’s crimes against the Georgian people on her shoulders if she wants to.
Conspiracy-filled narratives claim Western integration will lead Georgia to its demise
- Promimnent pro-Russian propagandist and one of the leaders of Alt Info/Conservative movement, Irakli Martinenko appeared on Sezoni TV’s broadcast where he voiced several propaganda narratives. Martinenko claimed that the Georgian Dream is damaging Georgia’s national interests as it is rejecting Russia in exchange for EU candidate status, which leaves Georgia under the risk of Russia’s attack. The candidate status is meaningless and the only thing that can guarantee Georgia’s national security is direct relations with Russia. The propagandist continued by claiming that pro-Russian attitudes in the country are artificially sowed by the West, which funds specific groups who, in turn, paint a picture in the information space as if most of Georgian society is Russophobic. According to the claim, the ultimate aim of the West is to sow division between Georgia and Russia and incite a conflict, as it happened in Ukraine’s case. Additionally, the Alt Info leader argued that the 30-year relations between the West and Georgia have been futile and will lead the country to a catastrophic result.
- An anchor on pro-Russian Alt Info also made anti-EU claims. According to the propagandist, the candidate status is nothing to celebrate. The propagandist referred to the first priority set by the European Commission, which calls on Georgia to fight disinformation and against the EU and its values, and argued that EU candidate status will have a negative effect as it envisages to repress freedom of speech, control media, and shut down “conservative media channels” such as Alt Info. Moreover, the Alt Info anchor asserted that the EU will continue promising Georgia membership to maintain influence, but it will never accept Georgia as a member.
- The narrative that Alt Info and the “Anti-Maidan” Movement stopped the Western plans of denying Georgia candidate status, deliberately inciting protests in the country, overthrowing the government and engaging Georgia in a war against Russia. According to the propaganda, the West saw the power of the “anti-Maidan” movement, which prevented the country from falling into chaos.
- A propagandist on Alt Info questioned why Georgia is aspiring to become a member of a new union when it was so adamant about seceding from the Soviet Union. If Georgia joins the EU, Western countries will use talented, qualified Georgian citizens for their economies, leaving Georgia deprived of a new, healthy generation. Simultaneously, the propagandist berated young people for attending an event hosted by President Zourabichvili, who, according to the propagandist, urged the new generation to start a new Maidan.
- A member of the Conseravtive Movement accused the West of neutralising the first President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, after whom every government has been under Western control. Shevardnadze, Mikheil Saakashvili and Bidzina Ivanishvili were all brought to power by the West, rather by the Georgian people. Currently, the Georgian Dream is appeasing the West to remain in power.
- Sezoni TV anchor Nikoloz Mzhavanadze also blamed the West for staging the 2003 Rose Revolution, arguing that Western countries were deliberately cutting off gas and electricity in the country to incite protests. As soon as Saakashvili came to power, the gas and electricity supplies were suddenly sufficient, which points to Western involvement, the propagandist argues.
- Another propagandist underlined that President Zourabichvili will pardon former President Saakshvili because she is pressured by the West to do so. Saakashvili’s release will result in a civil war, which is what the West aims to incite, as claimed.
- Referring to the 10-year anniversary since the start of the Maidan protests in Ukraine, a pro-Russian website published an article suggesting that the reason why the war in Ukraine started is Ukraine’s close alignment with the West. Moreover, according to the article, the protests were planned by the West, which ultimately led to Ukraine becoming war-torn with a depleted state budget, a prohibited Orthodox church, no freedom of speech, and astronomical human and material losses. The article aims to deceive the readers as if democratic changes and relations with the West lead to destruction, hinting that alignment with Russia is a better choice.
- A pro-Russian social media profile argued that if one is a religious person she/he automatically cannot be a supporter of modern Europe and the US as these countries are Satanists.
Propaganda asserts that direct relations are needed with Russia to ensure Georgia’s survival
- Sezoni TV propagandist, Nikoloz Mzhavanadze traditionally voiced his support for direct relations with Russia last week. According to him, the only way for Georgia to stop the borderisation, killings and kidnapping of Georgian citizens near the occupation line is to negotiate with Moscow. He goes on to argue that no one has been able to provide an alternative plan because there simply in none. The government is not pursuing this path because it is coerced by the West, which aims to maintain tensions between Tbilisi and Moscow. Additionally, while acknowledging that Russia has violated agreements with Georgia before, Mzhavanadze reasoned that Saakashvili’s government also cheated Russia on several instances, which infuriated Putin and caused the 2008 August war.
- Irakli Martinenko, leader of Alt Info/Conservative movement, who appeared on pro-Russian Sezoni TV, argued that attitudes and readiness of the Georgian people are increasingly changing and most of them support “taking constructive steps in terms of normalising relations with Russia.
- Ramaz Gagnidze, one of the figures who was actively involved in the July 5th, 2021 violence against journalists and activists and often appears on pro-Russian broadcast channels, stated that the death of Tamaz Ginturi while being tragic was also a provocation. Ginturi’s brother is part of the UNM party, thus the propagandist argues that he was tasked with staging the provocation by the opposition party. The fact that Tamaz Ginturi teared down the church door (which was locked by the occupying forces to restrict access to locals), swearing and crossing the occupation line was a deliberate provocation.
- Two separate social media profiles made a post asserting that Georgia is doomed for demise without a coalition with Russia. The only way for the Georgia nation to physically survive is a union with the Russian people.
- Another propagandist on Sezoni TV stated that only negative aspects of the Georgian-Russian relations are disseminated in the information space, which ultimately misleads people. In reality, there are many positive moments from history, such as the Russian empire expanding its territories, bringing Adjara under Georgian control.
Anti-Ukrainian propaganda undermines Ukrainian agency, claims its controlled by the West
- Member of the Georgian Dream affiliated People’s Power movement, Davit Kartvelishvili made several baseless claims about Ukraine. First of all, according to him, Ukrainian leaders have received new instructions from their foreign patrons – to blame the start of the war on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson. According to the People’s Party member, the member of the Ukrainian Rada, Davyd Arakhamia stated that Ukraine did not sign a peace deal with Russia because former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told Zelenskyy “to just fight”. In reality, Arakhamia stated that the Ukrainian side decided not to sign a peace deal because they did not trust Russia. Member of the People’s Power movement referred to Zelenskyy as a “ethnically non-Ukrainian President who sacrificed the Ukrainians” and argued that he should have “given up the foreign land – Donbass - to the Russians and tried to negotiate a settlement on Crimea.” Basically, Kartvelishvili stated that Zelenskyy is not Ukrainian because of his Jewish decent, and Donbas is not Ukrainian territory because of its Russian-speaking population. Moreover, Kartvelishvili, based on Russian news sources, stated that the CIA warned Zelenskyy about a possible assassination attempt being conspired by his close circle.
- Pro-Russian propagandist, Irakli Martinenko asserted that Russia is winning and Ukraine is in its last stages. When the tragic situation in Ukraine ends, Russia will turn to Georgia and if Tbilisi continues its Western-oriented foreign policy, a war will ensue. Alternatively, Georgia can start constructive, direct relations with Russia to prevent a conflict from occurring.
- A prominent pro-Russian propagandist, Tristan Tsitelashvili, stated that a third Maidan is being prepared in Ukraine which will overthrow Zelenskyy and bring Valerii Zaluzhnyi into power.
- Recurring guest on pro-Russian Sezoni TV, Dito Chubinidze argued that Zelenskyy and his close circle destroyed Ukraine because they followed the instruction of the US military elite. As a result, Ukraine has become a slaughter house and has no chance of regaining control over the occupied territories, especially Crimea. According to the propagandist, Russians have historically spilt blood many times for Crimea and will never give it up. Chubinidze propagated Vladimir Putin’s narrative that Ukraine was created by Vladimir Lenin, and Crimea was transferred to it by the Ukrainian-born Soviet leader, Nikita Krushchev.oviet leader, Nikita Krushchev lood many times for crimer the occupied territories, especially own the church door rn Therefore, the propagandist hinted that Russia’s occupation of these territories are fair, if not legitimate.
- A propagandist on Alt Info expressed that it was evident on February 23rd, 2022 that Ukraine would lose the war because President Zelenskyy is not an independent political figure, rather he was installed by the CIA to use Ukraine’s territory against Russia.
- A propagandist that often appears on pro-Russian broadcasts argued that Zelenskyy is doomed, he will be forced to resign and a provisional government will be established, led by Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who will be forced to freeze the conflict with Russia. The narrative aims to portray as if Ukraine is already defeated, and suggests that countries that go against Russia end up losing.
- A well-known propagandist, who frequently publishes articles on pro-Russian websites, Valeri Kvaratskhelia, wrote that the war in Ukraine proved once again that the West is completely helpless in the face of Russian power. Russia obliterated Western equipment, weaponry and financial assistance, while experiencing economic growth.
- A social media post argues that Israeli state will cease to exist, and Israeli citizens will be emigrated to different countries, including to Ukraine and Russia. Notably, the post claims that in 2024, “the Israeli emigrants will gain control over the Ukrainian state.”
- “Enemy of Orthodoxy, ungrateful, Nazi country can never be victorious”, reads a social media post, referring to Ukraine.
Propaganda paints the US as source of evil for Georgia and the world
- Sezoni TV anchor Nikoloz Mzhavanadze once again propagated several narratives blaming the US for Georgia’s misfortunes in the past and in the present, namely, the propagandist continued baselessly asserting that the US was behind the coup that removed the first President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia from power, as well as the 2003 Rose Revolution that resulted in the resignation of the second President, Eduard Shevardnadze. Mzhavanadze claimed that the US is planning a third coup against the Georgian Dream government.
- Speaking about the Biden administration, Mzhavanadze argued that the US is doing everything to start world war three, insisting that the war in Ukraine and the military conflict between Israel and Hamas were incited by the Americans.
- Additionally, the Sezoni TV broadcaster stated that US foreign policy has always been in contrast to Georgia’s national interests, specifically, Washington actively tries to maintain hostility between Georgia and Russia, not allowing Tbilisi to hold direct negotiations with Russia, which ultimately makes the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity impossible.
- Moreover, Mzhavanadze expressed that a country that chooses “the path of sodomy” is doomed for destruction. According to Mzhavanadze, the Byzantine Empire fell because it was “committing similar sins”, and would have not fallen if not for “sodomy”. Today, the US is the biggest export of LGBTQI+ propaganda and will soon be destroyed because of it.
- Also on Sezoni TV’s broadcast, Dito Chubinidze stated that in the 1990s the Georgian side hoped that the US would assist the country to build democratic institutions, the army, and the rule of law. The propagandist, ignoring the US assistance in all of these directions, argued the Americans are only supporting LGBTQI+ propaganda in Georgia.
