The State Security Department of the State Security Service has launched an investigation under the article of sabotage in connection with the discreditation information campaign run from foreign countries and supported from Georgia to harm the state interests of Georgia.
The case concerns the deliberate dissemination of information containing discrediting content against Georgia’s interests by fake, so-called bot accounts registered and managed in a foreign country across various social platforms, which harms Georgia’s economic interests. The campaign aims to create a false perception by spreading misinformation that there is an undesirable environment for tourists from the Russian Federation in Georgia.
At this point, it is known that on several fake accounts registered on the social platform X, misinformation was being posted on various issues; in particular, it was as if Georgian citizens were leaving tourists from the Russian Federation alone in the forest, or they were polluting the food they ordered in Georgian restaurants on purpose, etc.
Fake information of similar content was later, over specific intervals of time, coordinatedly spread by one of the online media outlets registered in a foreign country, with a multimillion audience.
The investigation started under Article 318 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which means creating a threat to the state interests of Georgia, to impede or damage/destroy the normal functioning of a state enterprise or other important objects. The crime involves imprisonment for up to 4 years.
As part of the investigation, lawful operative and search measures are underway to determine the organizers, participants, possible sources of funding, information dissemination mechanisms and their objectives.
The State Security Service continues to work to identify such disinformation campaigns promptly and to prevent threats resulting from them; any action managed by external or internal forces that aim to undermine Georgia’s national interests, destabilize state institutions, violate constitutional order or damage national security will be met with legal response.
