Disinfo: The West engineered the anti-Russian protests in Georgia

Summary

The Russophobic protests in Georgia, which erupted in the wake of a Russian lawmaker’s visit to Tbilisi, are a result of geopolitical engineering performed by Western politicians. By orchestrating the riots, the West is trying to rip apart the ties and common history between Russians and Georgians.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative alleging the undue influence of Western governments in the post-Soviet space; painting all manifestations of popular discontent in the region as manufactured elsewhere, and painting entire nations as pathologically Russophobic. The article states that the Tbilisi protests were "engineered" by Western politicians in advance, only to admit in the following paragraph that the riots were spontaneously caused by the controversial appearance in Georgian parliament of a Russian State Duma deputy. Only the latter claim is supported by evidence. The lawmaker in question has publicly supported the enduring Russian army presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two provinces which make up a fifth of Georgian territory and are recognised as occupied under Georgian law. Russian military presence is illegal and violates international law. No mention is made of the Russo-Georgian war or its possible effect on Russia-Georgia relations, although the report is quick to bemoan the alleged Western attempts to drive a wedge between the two countries and rewrite their "common history."

Go to search

publication/media

RT English (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 157
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 24/06/2019
  • Outlet language(s) English
  • Countries and/or Regions discussed in the disinformation: Georgia, Russia
  • Keywords: West, Encircling Russia, Protest, Destabilising Russia, Russo-Georgian War, Russophobia
see more

Disinfo: Foreign actors are targeting traditional religion to forward a consumerist neo-liberal world order

The political unrest in Georgia started during an assembly of MPs from Orthodox Christian countries. Foreign actors are supporting various non-canonical entities and sectarian-style beliefs in the framework of the wider campaign against traditional religions that oppose the establishment of consumerist neo-liberal world order.

Jun 23, 2019
Disproof

Conspiracy theory, presented without evidence. Freedom of religion is a fundamental element of international law. Freedom of religion or belief is enshrined in Articles 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) (link is external) and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Under international law, Freedom of religion or belief has two components:

  • The freedom to have or not to have or adopt (which includes the right to change) a religion or belief of one’s choice, and

  • The freedom to manifest one's religion or belief, individually or in community with others, in public or private, through worship, observance, practice and teaching.

With the adoption of the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in 2013, the EU has committed to advance this fundamental freedom in its external action, including through its financial instruments. In doing so, the EU is guided by the principles of non-discrimination and interrelatedness of human rights.

Disinfo: The Mueller report has never presented tangible evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 US elections

The Mueller report has never presented tangible evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 US elections.

Jun 23, 2019
Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US elections. Russian meddling in the 2016 election was established by US intelligence agencies before the publication of the Mueller report. Despite the fact that the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities, Robert Mueller’s report clearly states that Russian interference activities DID take place. For a similar case see here: Other cases about Russia's interference can be consulted here.

Disinfo: US behind South America power failure

US cyber attacks are the reason behind wide-scale power cuts in three South American countries as training for hitting Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Jun 23, 2019
Disproof

This claim is supported by no evidence. Whereas a massive power outage has indeed taken place in several Latin American countries, the reason behind it is yet to be established. The Argentinian president Mauricio Macri promised in a tweet published on June 16 that the case will be thoroughly investigated. The Guardian reported that Argentina’s energy secretariat blamed the blackout on a failure in the transmission of electricity from the Yacyretá hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River. He also added that the reason for the breakdown was not immediately clear. The Argentinian energy secretary, Gustavo Lopetegui, said that it could take up to two weeks to understand exactly why this had happened and who might be to blame. This is reminiscent of other unsubstantiated claims that the Venezuela blackouts that took place last March were the making of the United States and the West. For the Venezuela blackouts claims, see here.