On May 11, the Facebook page of the pro-government media outlet POSTV published a video about the ongoing protests in Tbilisi against the “foreign agents” law. According to the video, youth groups participating in the protests are linked to political parties, including the National Movement, which are promoting unrest and revolution in the country. POSTV’s video also addresses the issue of funding for youth movements and mentions Lasha Janjgava, who it claims is the leader of ‘ჯიუტი GEUT’ (Stubborn) youth movement. According to the video, the group has 130 members and is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In addition, POSTV also claims that “the revolutionary momentum, according to the American scenario, needed a clash and casualties.” The material includes a video by Zurab Tchiaberashvili, secretary of the United National Movement for foreign affairs, in which he mentions a fatal incident and says that “no one knows what form these developments will take in our country.”
The video being circulated to discredit the protests contains false and misleading information. It is a lie to claim that the ‘ჯიუტი GEUT’ movement is funded by USAID, while Zurab Tchiaberashvili’s video is being disseminated in a manipulative manner without a complete context.
In order to verify the information, Myth Detector contacted USAID, which confirmed that the ‘ჯიუტი GEUT’ movement is not funded by them. It is noteworthy that the civic movement was founded in 2022, they gathered daily at the parliament building for five months, protesting against the ruling party’s anti-Western policies. The members of ‘ჯიუტი GEUT’ have also joined the ongoing protest rallies against the “foreign agents” law. The group’s manifesto, published on its Facebook page, says that the movement unites people of different ages, professions and interests. Its demands include freedom of expression, fair laws, fair elections, equality before the law, real oversight of government activities and real participation of citizens in the decision-making process. The movement is citizen-funded.
As for Zurab Tchiaberashvili’s video, POSTV has previously broadcast his statement out of context, which Myth Detector has already verified. Tchiaberashvili is not talking about the need for sacrifices for the “decisive revolutionary momentum”; he is talking about the violence of the riot police, noting that due to the actions of the riot police, citizens may suffer health injuries, so everyone should be careful and not overstep their authority. “I hope that this will end with the finale they want, the finale we all want, without anyone having health or life problems,” says Tchiaberashvili.
For more details, see the Myth Detector material:
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