Reports emerged on October 5 that Ilia Jishkariani, member of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo) was accused by Tamta Todadze, his assistant, of attempted rape and sexual violence. On October 8, the Prosecutor’s Office granted Tamta Todadze the status of a victim and brought charges against Ilia Jishkariani.
Tamta Todadze’s accusations against the Sakrebulo member triggered an organized campaign by hate groups on Facebook and pro-governmental media outlets aimed at discrediting Todadze. The Myth Detector offers you the key messages, as well as the sources of these messages against Todadze aimed at justifying Jishkariani’s actions.
| Message | Who spreads |
| Tamta Todadze was the National Movement’s activist and she danced in Patriots’ Camp (video) | Hate groups: former leader of Georgian March, Lado Sadgobelashvili; newspaper Alia; “სახალხო მოძრაობა სოციალური სამართლიანობისათვის” (People’s Movement for Social Justice); “სოციალური უფლებების დაცვის ალიანსი” (Alliance for Social Rights); “ანტი-პარადოქსი” (Anti-Paradox); “ქართული გვერდი” (Georgian Page); “ჯაბა მუსელიანის ბლოგი” (Jaba Museliani Blog); “დავით ჟღენტი” (Davit Zhgenti)
Newly created and fake pages: “კოდალა”; fake page ““მამუკა ხაზარაძე გისმენთ” (Mamuka Khazaradze listens to you) Facebook user: ”Tony Raiković” Various: Facebook page “ქართველები ისტორიაში” (Georgians in history) |
| Tamta Todadze’s mother has previous conviction | Pro-governmental media outlets: plus.kvira.ge, news agency Pirveli (pia.ge)
Hate groups: “ანტი-პარადოქსი”, Georgian March activist Beka Vardosanidze Facebook user: “დავით ჟღენტი” |
| Tamta Todadze has already been involved in similar incident previously and therefore she is not reliable. | Hate groups: “ანტი-პარადოქსი”, “კარდჰუ”, “ქართული გვერდი”, “Antiliberal League – ანტილიბერალური ლიგა” |
Affiliation with the National Movement
Lado Sadgobelashvili, former leader of Georgian March, was the first to voice the message about Tamta Todadze’s affiliation with the National Movement. The message was later picked up by eight hate groups, two newly created and fake pages, one uncertain Facebook page and one user, who hides his identity.
Primary source: Information about Tamta Todadze allegedly being an activist of the National Movement was first spread by Lado Sadgobelashvili through his Facebook post on October 7.
Shares: Sadgobelashvili’s post was shared by more than 100 users, including four Facebook pages:
- “კოდალა” created on October 7, 2019 (with the photo of Baia Pataraia, women’s rights activist, used as a profile picture)
- A fake page of Mamuka Khazaradze’s supporters “მამუკა ხაზარაძე გისმენთ”
- “სახალხო მოძრაობამ სოციალური სამართლიანობისათვის” (People’s Movement for Social Justice)
- “სოციალური უფლებების დაცვის ალიანსმა” (Alliance for Social Rights)
Sadgobelashvili shared his own post in about 10 open groups, including the groups supporting Georgian Dream, Kakha Kaladze and Irakli Garibashvili:
- “კახა კალაძე თბილისის მერი” (Kakha Kaladze Tbilisi Mayor)
- “2012” ერთად ავიხდინოთ ქართული ოცნება!!!!!!!!” (2012 let’s together make our Georgian Dream come true!!!!!)
- “ქართული ოცნება – ლიდერი ლიდერთა შორის!” (Georgian Dream – Leader among Leaders)
- “საქართველოს ახალი დემოკრატები – ირაკლი ღარიბაშვილის მხარდამჭერთა ცენტრი” (New democrats of Georgia – center for Irakli Garibashvili’s supporters)
- “ნაცხროვა ციხეში” (The National Movement’s herd in jail)
Newspaper Alia posted Sadgobelashvili’s Facebook post on its official website and Facebook page.
Video showing Tamta Todadze dancing
Primary source: A video showing a girl and an unidentified man dancing together was spread in social network by two hate group pages –„ანტი-პარადოქსი“ and “ქართული გვერდი“ with identical texts.
Shares: The video spread by “ანტი-პარადოქსი” was shared by:
- “ქართველები ისტორიაში”
- User Tony Raiković shared the video in the group “ანტილიბერალური სივრცე” (Anti-liberal space)
The video spread by “ქართული გვერდი“ was shared by:
- Jaba Museliani log
- User “დავით ჟღენტი” (Davit Zhgenti)
- “ქართული გვერდი“ in a public group “Georgia საქართველო”
Mother’s previous conviction
Information about previous conviction of Todadze’s mother was spread by two pro-governmental media outlets and shared by three hate group pages.
Primary source: Information about previous conviction of Tamta Todadze’s mother was first spread by online media outlet plus.kvira.ge referring to an unidentified source on October 7. Later, news agency Pirveli (pia,ge) spread the same information referring to plus.kvira.ge.
Shares: Three hate groups shared the article released by news agency Pirveli in social networks:
- Activist of Georgian March, Beka Vardosanidze
- User Davit Zhgenti shared it in the group “პროტესტი! Protest! Протест!”
- Facebook page “ანტი-პარადოქსი”
Manipulation with the incident that occurred in the past
Four hate groups and one online media outlet spread the information voiced by Tamta Todadze in the interview with Mtavari Arkhi, regarding the incident that happened to her in the past.
Speaking with Mtavari Arkhi TV on October 6, Tamta Todadze recollected the incident that happened to her a year ago, when she informed patrol police about the violence carried out against her. But later she withdrew her complaint. Hate groups on Facebook spread the report to cast doubts on Tamta Todadze’s reliability.
Primary source: Information was first spread by “ანტი-პარადოქსი“ on October 7 with its logo. Later on the same day, primetime.ge released an article regarding the incident that took place in the past.
Shares: The post by “ანტი-პარადოქსი“ was shared by:
- “ქართული გვერდი”
- “ქართული გვერდი“ in a public group “Georgia საქართველო”
The article by primetime.ge was shared by:
- “კარდჰუ”
- “Antiliberal League – ანტილიბერალური ლიგა”
About the sources
Hate groups
According to CRRC-Georgia, in 2018, “კარდჰუ” and “ანტი-პარადოქსი” were among those Facebook pages, which were spreading disinformation and anti-Western propaganda most frequently. The both pages are mainly publishing posts with sexist, xenophobic and homophobic content. (peytonsplaceanimalrescue.org)
Lado Sadgobelashvili is one of the former leaders of Georgian March. Spreading a conspiracy theory about the Lugar Lab in early 2019 is just linked to his name.
Facebook page “სახალხო მოძრაობა სოციალური სამართლიანობისთვის” was registered in 2011 and it is mainly positioning as a non-governmental organization protecting homeless people. However, the page mainly shares Lado Sadgobelashvili’s posts against political opponents of incumbent government, anti-occupation rallies and critical media outlets.
Facebook page “სოციალური უფლებების დაცვის ალიანსი” was created in 2015 and like “სახალხო მოძრაობა სოციალური სამართლიანობისთვის”, it mainly publishes Lado Sadgobelashvili’s Facebook posts. The both pages publish identical materials.
Facebook page “კოდალა” was created on October 7, 2019 and one of its first activities involved sharing of Lado Sadgobelashvili’s post about Tamta Todadze.
The page “მამუკა ხაზარაძე გისმენთ” was registered on July 9, 2019 and it mainly shares Lado Sadgobelashvili’s posts.
Facebook users
“დავით ჟღენტი” is a Facebook user, who periodically spreads anti-Western myths and disinformation. See detailed information in the articles released by the Myth Detector:
- Video Fabrication, which Portrays the Footage of the Protests in Algeria as European Cities
- How and Who Uses Genocide-related Photo as Proof of Anti-NATO Protests
Tony Raiković hides his identity and indicates the name rezo.rezi in a profile identifier. The user has liked the Facebook pages spreading hate speech, among them “კარდჰუ”, ანტი-პარადოქსი”, “Geo Pepe”, “ალტ-ინფო”, “Antiliberal League – ანტილიბერალური ლიგა”.
Media outlets
plus.kvira.ge and news agency Pirveli (pia.ge) are among those online media outlets, which have signed contracts with government agencies on providing advertising and information services.
See the reports released by the Media Development Foundation:
