Disinformation about Elene Khoshtaria Allegedly Spraying Police Officer with Paint Spreads in a Coordinated Manner

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Reading Time: 5 minutes

78
VIEWS

On November 30, Facebook pages სექტა (Sect), მეხუთე რეიხი (Fifth Reich), რეალობა (Reality), მიხეილ უკრაინოლოგი (Mikheil Ukrainologi) and ანტილიბერალური დოქტრინა (Antiliberal Doctrine) as well as Facebook users გაბრიელ კამაევი (Gabriel Kamaevi), Oboladze GiaMindo Mandela and Nino Labartkava spread identical photos depicting Elene Khoshtaria, an opposition politician, holding a spray paint in her hand. Khoshtaria is standing in front of a police officer with a temporary wall erected behind the latter. The photo also depicts a microphone and a logo of pro-opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV.

Besides the photos, a five-second video with the same content was spread by Facebook page Political Sarcasm with the following caption: “This rascal woman sprays paint in the face of a police officer; this is their real face.”

The posts spread by Facebook pages and individual users noted that Elene Khoshtaria sprayed police officer with paint. Some authors of the posts even demanded her arrest.

The image spread by Facebook pages and individual users is manipulative. It has been cut out from Mtavari Arkhi TV story, the original footage of which shows that Elene Khoshtaria is trying to spray-paint graffiti on the temporary wall with police officers trying to obstruct her. Khoshtaria’s paint sprayer is pointed directly at the wall, not at the police officer. The spread manipulation aims at discrediting the opposition politician.

The footage manipulatively spread by Facebook pages and profiles has been cut out from Mtavari Arkhi TV’s live broadcast. The original footage shows Elene Khoshtaria moving towards the temporary wall, trying to paint graffiti on the wall, but police officers obstruct her. Her paint sprayer is pointed directly at the wall, not at the police officer’s face.

On November 28, a group of activists led by Elene Khoshtaria of the opposition European Georgia party tried to spray-paint graffiti on the temporary wall erected outside the Parliament building to express protest against the statement made by the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with a bilateral meeting held as part of informal, direct dialogue between the two countries. Zurab Abashidze, Georgian Prime Minister’s special representative for Russia, participated in the meeting with Russia’s Federation Council Senator Grigory Karasin. Following the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement, noting that “mutual spirit was confirmed to overcome the negative consequences of the anti-Russian provocation staged by Georgian nationalists in the summer of 2019.” Just this part of the statement triggered strong outcry in Tbilisi. Two activists were detained during the rally. The Russian Foreign Ministry referred to the June 2019 protests caused by the appearance of Russian State Duma Communist MP, Sergei Gavrilov in the Georgian Parliament chamber.

Manipulative footage featuring Elene Khoshtaria spreads in a coordinated manner

Noteworthy that anti-opposition Facebook pages and individual users were spreading the footage cut out from the video in a coordinated manner, in a period between 17:00 and 17:30 on November 30. They shared the posts to Facebook’s public groups mainly in a period between 19:10 and 19:45. The content of the posts and the time period they were shared (identical periods of time) point at a campaign nature of their spread.

The anti-opposition pages სექტა (Sect) and მეხუთე რეიხი (Fifth Reich) added identical captions to Elene Khoshtaria’s photo. Both pages wrote that Elene Khoshtaria “sprays paint directly in the face” of a patrol police officer. The pages are apparently managed by the same person. As of December 1, the post published by Sect has 440 reactions, 184 comments and 92 shares. The post published by Fifth Reich has 46 reactions and 23 comments. Mostly aggressive and abusive comments are left on both posts. Some of them even demand Elene Khoshtaria’s punishment.

In addition, anti-opposition pages რეალობა (Reality) and მიხეილ უკრაინოლოგი (Mikheil Ukrainologi) uploaded identical photos; however, they did not write in the descriptions accompanying their respective photos that Elene Khoshtaria sprays a police officer with paint, but simply assess her behavior negatively (“And she calls herself a lawmaker and a politician” – Reality; “Do not you dare too much, Ms. Elene?” The majority of comments left on the posts are aggressive and abusive towards Elene Khoshtaria, promoting an opinion that Khoshtaria sprays a police officer with paint. A small part expresses an opposite opinion. The post published by the page Reality has 38 shares and Mikheil Ukrainologi’s post – 34 shares.

Another anti-opposition page Political Sarcasm uploaded a five-second video with the following description: “This rascal woman sprays paint in the face of a police officer; this is their real face.” The video features Elene Khoshtaria trying to spray-paint graffiti on the wall with police officers obstructing her. As of December 1, the video has 2,400 views and 19 shares.

The identical photo was spread by Facebook page ანტილიბერალური დოქტრინა (Antiliberal Doctrine) with the following caption: “Helen Khoshtaria sprays paint in the face of a patrol police officer.” The post has 14 shares.

As for individual Facebook users, their posts contained messages that were similar to those spread by the anti-opposition pages.

Facebook account Oboladze Gia, which is marked by Who is Who platform as a government troll, writes that Khoshtaria “takes out on police” and “sprays in his eyes.” Oboladze Gia’s post has 80 shares. The same account shared the post to eight public groups with the same captions involving a clear message “Khoshtaria in prison.”

Three more Facebook users გაბრიელ კამაევიNino Labartkava and Mindo Mandela also published identical photos.

გაბრიელ კამაევი sarcastically calls Khoshtaria a “peaceful” protester. His post has 87 shares.  Nino Labartkava writes that Elene Khoshtaria should be held accountable. Simultaneously, she uses an insulting term against Khoshtaria. Her post has 13 shares.

Mindo Mandela also calls for Khoshtaria’s arrest. His post has 29 shares. Mindo Mandela shared his post to three public groups.

Anti-opposition pages Message

Sect

Fifth Reich

Reality

Mikheil Ukrainologi

Political Sarcasm

This bastard Khoshtaria sprays paint directly in the face of a patrol police officer. Is not it a crime?

This bastard Khoshtaria sprays paint directly in the face of a patrol police officer.

And does she still call herself a lawmaker and a politician?

Do not you dare too much, Ms. Elene?

This rascal woman sprays paint in the face of a police officer; this is their real face!

Personal profiles Message

Gabriel Kamaevi

Oboladze Gia

Mindo Mandela

Nino Labartkava

Khoshtaria, you trash 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 This is how “a peaceful” protester treats a law enforcer!!!

Although the entire opposition supported Elene Khoshtaria, daughter of a perfidious father and betrayer of Zviad [Gamsakhurdia, Georgia’s first president], she lost elections in Vake [single-mandate constituency]. Now, she takes out on police and using her husband’s millions, she took children to the streets and sprays paint in the eyes of police officers.

Arrest this Russia’s agent, millionaire Khoshtaria!!!
How did Russia’s agent dare to raise her hand against Georgian police officers?
Khoshtaria in prison!!!

Just hold this bastard woman accountable and do not let her shit on your heads! If my neighbor, Ramaz sprays paint in the face of a police officer, he will not be able to sneak out only with a fine and who the hell is Khoshtaria? Bring her to account! We are fed up with it!!!

Antiliberal pages Message
Antiliberal Doctrine 🔴 Helen Khoshtaria sprays paint in the face of a patrol police officer❗

The article uses data by CrowdTangle, a Facebook search tool.


The article has been written in the framework of Facebook’s fact-checking program. You can read more about the restrictions that Facebook may impose based on this article via this link. You can find information about appealing or editing our assessment via this link.

Read detailed instructions for editing the article.
Read detailed appeal instructions.

Topic: Politics
Source

Last News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Add New Playlist