The Mobilization of Trolls and Anonymous Facebook Accounts Against Former President Saakashvili

On October 14, 2022, the Facebook page of the Special Penitentiary Service published video footage showing former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s imprisonment. According to the explanation of the Penitentiary Service, the footage was made public due to high public interest, and it reflects different periods of Saakashvili’s imprisonment. In addition, the post stated that the video shows that the actions of Mikheil Saakashvili are simulated and serve the sole purpose of hindering the implementation of justice and misleading the wider society and international partners.

In parallel, a campaign to discredit Mikheil Saakashvili emerged on social media, involving fake accounts and anti-opposition, anonymous Facebook pages. Fake accounts claimed that Saakashvili was cheating and did not require treatment, while Facebook pages tried to emphasize his inadequacy by spreading pictures, video collages and memes of the former president.

“Myth Detector” identified 30 fake accounts and 12 Facebook pages involved in the discreditation campaign against Saakashvili. Fake accounts left comments in the comment fields on the video collage published by the Penitentiary Service, the news published by “Interpress News” and the post on the Facebook page “Ar Agarevinebt.”

Fake Accounts

• Out of 30 fake accounts, 25 were stealing the identities of other social media users, while 5 concealed their identity;
• 19 of 30 fake accounts like Facebook pages affiliated with the incumbent Georgian Dream party; 7 of them share posts of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and the Government of Georgia; 
• 10 of 30 fake accounts like Facebook pages that regularly discredit the political opponents of the ruling party;
• 15 of 30 fake accounts are friends with other trolls;
• 14 fake accounts have been involved in discreditation campaigns in the past as well;
• 12 fake accounts left comments on different posts.

Facebook pages

• All 12 Facebook pages (Political Absurdity, Political Grave N5, Terenti Gldaneli, Corridor of Shame, Fuck your Citizens’ Union, Ar Agarevinebt, Journalist Fails, Reality, Party of Death, Mikheil Ukrainologist, Shalva Natelashvili Psychiatric Clinic) are spreading anti-opposition content and support the “Georgian Dream”;
• One Facebook page (Party of Death) is newly-created;
• 4 Facebook pages shared an identical card at the same time;
• Posts published by two Facebook pages (Political Absurdity, Ar Agarevinebt) are sponsored.

Fake Accounts

Accounts that steal the identity of others

Fake account	Steals the identity of	Comments left by Fake Accounts
Nene Beridze	Steals the identity of the Instagram user Lela Shylo. Likes the following pages: POSTV, POSTV – Analytics, POSTV – News, POSTV – Fun, Shalva Ramishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili & Society.	“Georgians are sick of you, Misha.” “You have always been despicable and you’ll remain like that forever.”
Gega Lashkhi	Steals the identity of the Instagram user furatramazan. Likes the following pages: Bidzina Ivanishvili – Told through Truth, Misha’s Archive, Party of Death.	“He is a bastard but apparently he is a psycho as well.” “He does not have a human face anymore, once the footage becomes public, I’ll laugh at his behaviour.” “Apparently, he is not a good actor either.”
Giorgi Titvinidze	Steals the identity of the VKontakte user Vig Zohrabyan. Shares posts of “Ar Agarevinebt.”	“How horrible it is when you look through our history only to find out that this psycho has been ruling our country for 9 years.”
Lasha Mjavanadze	Steals the identity of the Facebook user Tommy Joiner. Likes the following pages: Mikheil Ukrainologist, Misha’s Archive.	“Mommy’s piglet has a good appetite.”
Leka Sidamonidze	Steals the identity of the Bulgarian LGBT activist tanyailievaa.	“They are done for good now.” “This hyperactivity of the UNM is disgusting. Make the footage public so that this nonsense could finally end.”
Marta Natriashvili	Steals the identity of the ok.ru user Диана Рубан. Likes: Bidzina Ivanishvili – Told through Truth Compare.	“He does look weak at all.” “Shameful” “How dare they say anything after this?”
Nati Kenchoshvili	Steals the identity of Miss Belarus, Maria Vasilevich. Likes POSTV – Analytics.	“You scam, worthless”
Natia Yifiani	Uses the photo of Canadian actress Rachel McAdams. Has only one friend. Shares the posts of the Georgian Dream fact-checking Facebook page “In reality”.	“You are a fraud.”
Giorgi Bakhtadze	Uses the photo of the character Саша Белый from the TV show “Brigade.” Likes: City Hall of Abasha Municipality.	“Why do you keep him here, he is miserable, and on his nerves and because of this, he can get away with this? So many people are on his conscience, this is just the beginning, he will it himself, this executioner.”
Navi Navi	Uses a photo that appears on a number of dating websites.	“A disgrace; fraud.”
Natalia Vardanyan	Uses a photo that appears on a number of dating websites and blogs.	“You’re such a miserable simulant, you imbecile.”
Sopho Kozmanashvili	Steals the identity of a Russian actress Julia Jigalina. Likes: Bidzina Ivanishvili – Told through Truth, Party of Death.	“I’ve seen clowns, but not of this calibre.” “Why is the UNM not prosecuted?” “This person was the president of Georgia; we were lucky to survive.”
Anano Metreveli	Steals the identity of VKontakte.ru user Надежда Гусева. Likes: Bidzina Ivanishvili – Told through Truth, Party of Death. Compare.	“A clown will always be a clown.” “A bloodthirsty executioner. At some point, I felt sorry for him, but he is a true satan.” “He does not respect anyone or anything.”
Nino Maisuradze	Steals the identity of Odesa resident Екатерина Ткаченко. Shares posts in support of the  Government of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili. Likes: POSTV, POSTV – News, Archive, Compare. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“Oh my god, he is in such a “bad” state.” “Fraud” “They are deceiving the public and a large propaganda machine is working on this.”
Nini Lomjaria	Steals the identity of an Italian composer and politician, Aisha Ruggeri. Likes the pages  Irakli, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Supporters of Irakli Gharibashvili. Shares posts in support of Irakli Gharibashvili and the Georgian government. The account shared a post by “Party of Death,” which demanded the release of the prison footage of Saakashvili. The account was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“I feel sorry for the medical personnel, he is treating them in a disrespectful way and people are still protecting him.” There is a large interest from the public, so it would be good if this footage becomes public, so that everything becomes clear for the part of the public that sees Saakashvili as a victim.”
Shota Rukhadze	Steals the identity of an Italian winemaker  Leonardo Zerilli. Likes pages: Irakli, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Irakli Gharibashvili’s supporters. The account was involved in the discreditation campaigns against Nika Gvaramia and the Government of Ukraine.	“Why are the people protecting this disgraceful being?”
Madona Kuprashvili	Steals the identity of Mariela Matute, CFO of California-based company Calavo Growers. Likes Irakli Gharibashvili support page Irakli.  The account was involved in the discreditation campaign against the Government of Ukraine in the Spring.	“Poor doctors”
Masho manana Nebieridze	Uses pictures of the famous American model Kendall Jenner. Shares posts in support of Irakli Gharibashvili. Likes: POSTV – Analytics, POSTV – News Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“I lost my mind.” “Disgrace to the whole country.” “And he says that he is not feeling well.”
Iko Gigiberidze	Steals the identity of the Instagram user vitja_86. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“These liars! They were telling us that he was dying.” The second comment involves harsh derogatory language. “These footages must be made public by all means.”
Elene Tsitsishvili	The photo used by the account can be found on a number of websites.  Likes: POSTV – Analytics, Bidzina Ivanishvili – Told through Truth.  Shared the post by “Party of Death” that demanded the release of Saakashvili’s prison footage.	“The footage has to be made public, so that everyone can know the truth.” “He clearly needs psychiatric help.” “He is such a fraud.”
Mari Loladze	Uses a photo taken by a student of a photography course in Italy in June 2017. Shares posts discrediting the opposition and expresses support for Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“His manners are so horrible, I don’t understand how people protect him.” “We, as a society, truly deserve to know the truth. You have once again demonstrated what kind of a president Georgia had, unfortunately.”
Ia Maisuradze	Steals the identity of the Turkish doctor Gül Dağlar. Like Facebook pages: Irakli, ბიძინა ივანიშვილის მხარდამჭერები/Bidzina Ivanishvili. Shares posts of  “Misha’s Archive” – a Facebook page created to discredit Saakashvili. The profile is newly-created. The account shares posts that are directed against Saakashvili from the page “Misha’s Archive.” The account was involved in the discreditation campaign against the Government of Ukraine.	“Make the footage public so that society can see the true face of Saakashvili.” “These bloodthirsty people.”
Olga  Khurcidze	Steals the identity of Mary Jo Ramicone, an employee of Elmhurst University. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“Make the footage public so that society can see what kind of a clown it has to deal with.”
Tamta Tsanava	Steals the identity of a Sardinian guide, Marta Staffa. Shares posts in support of Irakli Gharibashvili. Likes pages: Irakli, POSTV – Analytics, POSTV – News, Irakli Gharibashvili’s supporters, Misha’s Archive. The account was involved in the discreditation campaign against the Government of Ukraine in Spring 2022.	“He cannot even act properly; this talentless fraud.”
Tinatin Asanidze	Steals the identity of an American publisher Beth Daugherty.  Likes pages: POSTV – News. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	He is such a fraud”

Accounts that conceal their identity

Fake account	Conceals the identity	Comments left by Fake Accounts
Neli Kakulia	Conceals the identity. Left a comment on several posts. Likes pages supportive of the Georgian Dream. Supporters of Irakli Gharibashvili, Georgian Dream is my choice, , ბიძინა ივანიშვილის მხარდამჭერები/Bidzina Ivanishvili  სიახლეების ბლოგი • Blog News, Journalists, Political Journal • Behemoti, არქივი – Archive. Was involved in the discreditation campaign against Nika Gvaramia.	“He doesn’t look like he is ill.” “The foolishness of Mishiko has no limits. The footage has to be made public so that everyone can see this clown.” “He is a disgrace. And the country and people were in his hands.”
გელა-გელა მგელი	Conceals the identity. Has other fake accounts in the friends’ list.	“You simulant! His place is in a cell.”
Tako Takuna	Conceals the identity. Has other fake accounts in the friends’ list.
Irakli Jixvadze	მალავს იდენტობას. ჰყავს მხოლოდ 3 მეგობარი. აზიარებს ფეისბუკ-გვერდების  სინამდვილეში, TV Imedi-ის პოსტებს:	“You’re such a fraud! You are a joke and a liar.”
Rembo Rembo	Conceals the identity. Has only 3 friends. Shares posts of In Reality and TV Imedi.	“This is a pure scam.”

Facebook pages

In December 2022, a new page, “Party of Death,” appeared on Facebook.

The Facebook page was created on December 9th, and demanded the release of Mikheil Saakashvili’s footage in one of the first posts: 

“The Minister of Justice said that there is footage that proves how Saakashvili is simulating with the topic of health. He urged the founder of the Death Party and his henchmen to stop speculating and promised to publish the footage otherwise.”

We, the people who have not forgotten the regime created by the party of death under the leadership of Saakashvili, appeal to the government, Mr. Rati, to publish the footage so that the attempt to mislead the public can be stopped once and for all. Trust us, we deserve to know and see the truth!”

It should be noted that fake accounts are mobilized in the comments section of the post, asking the Penitentiary Service to make the footage public.

After the publication of footage showing Mikheil Saakashvili in the clinic, Facebook pages: Political Absurdity, Political grave N5, Terenti Gldaneli (1, 2, 3),  Mikheil Ukrainologist (1, 2, 3), Ar Agarevinebt (1, 2), Corridor of Shame,  Fuck Your Citizens Union, Journalist Fails joined the campaign to discredit the former president and claimed that Saakashvili is “simulating”, cheating and he does not need any treatment.

Facebook pages Reality, Terenti Gldaneli, Fuck Your Citizens Union, Party of Death wrote that Saakashvili has been terrorizing the medical personnel, behaving agresively and violently. 

On December 14th, 2022, Facebook pages Political Absurdity, Terenti Gldaneli, and Political Grave N5 published an identical photo collage depicting Mikheil Saakashvili and Sulkhan Molashvili. The posts were published at the same time at 21:58-59. In a short time interval, at 23: 03 minutes, an identical card was distributed by the Facebook page Time of Truth.

Facebook pages Archive (1,2), Reality, and Party of Death tried to shift the focus to the past by spreading photo-video materials taken during the previous government’s rule, which reflected the condition of prisoners and their parents in the past. Videos of the Facebook page “Archive” were also distributed by the page Shalva Natelashvili Psychiatric Clinic.

Facebook pages “Mikheil Ukrainologist” (1 2 3 4), Ar Agarevinebt (1 2 3), Party of Death disseminated the footage of Mikheil Saakashvili falling out of bed and other shots taken in the clinic with insulting and mocking comments. The Facebook page “Reality” wrote that during Saakashvili’s time the reconstruction was carried out with the help of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s “Kartu” foundation, and Terenti Gldaneli wrote that Saakashvili always had mental problems.

Sponsored posts

It should be noted that the posts published by two Facebook pages (Political Absurdity, Ar Agarevinebt) were sponsored, indicating Ramaz Beridze and Davit Davitashvili as the persons who paid for it.