Ioseb.Stalini, Ilia Chavchavadze – Cai.Qutaisi and others in a discrediting campaign against the protest of Pozner’s visit

The host of Russia’s First Channel, journalist Vladimir Pozner arrived in Tbilisi with a delegation to celebrate his 87th birthday, which was followed by a protest by civic activists and the opposition party members. On the night of March 31, the demonstration was held near hotels “Rooms” and “Vinotel”. According to participants of the protest, Pozner supports the occupation of Georgia and Ukraine and is an active promoter of Kremlin propaganda, for which he should not be allowed to enter Georgian territory. Moreover, Pozner together with his accompanying delegation violated Covid-19 isolation and quarantine regulations.

Along with civic protests, pro-government and anti-opposition pages became active on social media, which, as a diversion from Pozner’s visit to Georgia, recalled Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s meeting with Putin, the founder of the political movement “Droa” Elene Khoshtaria’s Russian diploma, Nino Burjanadze’s meeting with Vladimir Pozner and Giga Makarashvili’s cooperation with businessman Mindia Gulua.

The messages spread by governmental pages were voiced in announcements of the party leaders as well. According to Irakli Kobakhidze’s assessment, Pozner’s visit was protested by people, who, with their actions and statements, serve Russia’s affairs and goals and moreover, Giga Makarashvili, Shota Dighmelashvili, and Elene Khoshtaria are Russia’s agents.

“Myth Detector” revealed pro-government and opposition-discrediting 7 pages, 2 anti-liberal pages, and 20 trolls, in a discrediting campaign against participants of the protest against the Russian journalist, as well as civic activists, and the opposition.

Two pages among the anti-opposition pages “ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები” (Expired Politicians), “FAKE დეტექტორი” (FAKE Detector) were created in March 2021.

Three anti-opposition pages ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები (Expired Politicians), არქივი • Archive, ნაცები, შმაცები და შმაცუნები (Natsebi, Shmatsebi da Shmatsunebi)) have advertised posts against the opposition 10 times.

Posts from “ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები“ (Expired Politicians) and ”ნაცები, შმაცები და შმაცუნები” (Natsebi, Shmatsebi da Shmatsunebi) are sponsored by the same person, Giorgi Kvaratskhelia, which indicates a possible connection between these pages.

It should be noted, that on April 1, the Facebook page “ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები” (Expired Politicians) created an event titled “Elene Khoshtaria Should Burn Her Russian Diploma”, later on, the page dedicated a separate post for the event.

The event created by “ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები” was shared by the Facebook page “ტერენტი გლდანელი“ (Terenti Gldaneli).

“ვადაგასული პოლიტიკოსები” is a newly created page, it was registered on March 26, 2021, and is said to have entertaining content, yet it mainly shares posts discrediting the opposition.

In the first week of its existence, the page has advertised 5 posts against the opposition, including the event created against Elene Khoshtaria. It should be noted, that these posts are sponsored by Giorgi Kvaratskhelia.

On one hand, the Facebook page “მიხეილ უკრაინოლოგი” (“Mikheil Ukrainologi”) recalled Mikheil Saakashvili’s meeting with Putin (the post has been deleted as of now), and on the other hand, it also discredited Elene Khoshtaria.

Nino Burjanadze was also called out for the meeting with Pozner. The Facebook page არქივი • Archive has shared Pozner’s 2017 interview with Burjanadze. არქივი • Archive’s post is sponsored.


An identical video with the same description was shared by the page “სირცხვილის კორიდორი” (Corridor of Shame).

Along with the protest, a video was shared on the Facebook page “ნაცები, შმაცები და შმაცუნები”, where civic activist Giga Makarashvili is seen together with Mindia Gulua, a Georgian businessman working in Russia.

The post was sponsored twice by Giorgi Kvaratskhelia.

On the Facebook page “ტერენტი გლდანელი”, a video was shared, where Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement about civic activists and Elene Khoshtaria being Russia’s agents, is followed by a comment by Alika Kuprava, a spokesperson of the movement “Sakartvelostvis”. The video has the following description: “Pro-Russian civic activists are protesting Russian journalist’s visit to Georgia”.

It is noteworthy that the pro-government analyst Gia Abashidze has shared the video by “ტერენტი გლდანელი“ in 6 public groups გასამართლდეს ნაციონალური მოძრაობა (Bring the National-Terrorist Movement to Justice), ნიუს რუსთავი (News Rustavi), პროტესტი! Protest! Протест!, პოლიტიკა & საზოგადოება (Politics & Society) ”მოქალაქე’’ არასამთავრობო ორგანიზაცია (NGO “Citizen”), INFO. The said list doesn’t include his profile.

The Facebook page “FAKE დეტექტორი” also tried to pass off the National Movement and Mikheil Saakashvili as a pro-Russian power, in a published video the page tries to prove how Georgia’s former president copied Vladimir Putin.

It should be noted, that “FAKE დეტექტორი” is also a new page, which was created on March 11, 2021.

Anti-liberal pages
Anti-liberal pages also joined the protest-discrediting campaign, which on one hand, discredited protest participants, and on the other hand, appealed to National Movement’s connections with Russia. These pages are კარდჰუ (Kardhu), კონსერვატიული პლატფორმა (Conservative Platform).

Along with Facebook pages, trolls also got active on social media, and as per tradition, discredited protest participants and representatives of the opposition.

Trolls

“Myth Detector” has revealed 20 trolls, who were active on Facebook about Pozner’s visit

1. Stolen Identity

2. Trolls that have a different name indicated in the profile URL:

3. Trolls that hide their identity

The trolls left homophobic, discrediting comments on Facebook about the participants of the protest, tried to pass off the process as an order from Mikheil Saakashvili and the National Movement and wrote, that the protest would cause irritation of Russia, which would affect the number of Russian tourists and Georgian’s fate living in Russia.