DISINFO: Western special services influence internal and external processes in Georgia
SUMMARY
The West knows very well that if Garibashvili's government succeeds in passing the Foreign Agents law, it will block the ability of Western (US) special services to influence internal and external processes in Georgia, as well as their access to other nearby countries through Georgia, limiting the possibilities of convenient access.
RESPONSE
Disinformation around the March 2023 protests in Georgia claiming that Western special services, in the case meaning the US, interfere in Georgia's domestic affairs and presenting it as a puppet of Western powers. No evidence has been provided to support this claim which is a leitmotif of pro-Kremlin disinformation. Georgia is an independent and sovereign country with independently elected institutions such as its parliament and president. The elections were free and fair according to international observations see here and here.
The US and Georgia have very good relations. Georgia received 4,3 billion USD in financial aid from the US in 1992-2020. The US supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia.
The pro-Kremlin media frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Belarus, Venezuela, Slovakia, Hong Kong, with the aim of portraying protest movements as aggressive actors who constantly prepare new coups.
Massive grassroot protests erupted in Tbilisi after the Georgian parliament passed the first reading of a controversial bill requiring some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”.
Many protesters saw the draft law as a legal step being inspired by similar laws in Russia and they protested against it. Further, the draft law caused fears that it could impede Georgia’s hopes for closer ties with the European Union, following local and international criticism, including from the US, EU and its member states, as well as the UN. Notably, the protests were met with tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons from the riot police that dispersed the rally using force.
As a result of the mass protests, the Georgian Parliament dropped the “foreign agents” bill after the ruling party withdrew support.
See more cases such as EU observers in Armenia are employees of Western-intelligence services, Srebrenica massacre in 1995 was a provocation staged-by Western security services and the US is behind attempts to "shake" the situation in Georgia.