DISINFO: Foreign special services are behind the calls to overthrow the Georgian government
SUMMARY
Forces organised by foreign special services were calling on Georgian citizens to overthrow the government, and no one would be spared.
RESPONSE
A pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative not backed up by evidence. The claim falsely portrays popular protests in Georgia as a foreign-led colour revolution and an attempted coup.
This claim is an attempt to discredit Georgia protests and justify intensified repressive measures against them in the aftermath of 2025 Georgian local elections.
The October 4 local elections in Georgia took place amid a partial opposition boycott, scant credible observation, continued repression by Georgian Dream authorities, the jailing of protesters and opposition members, and a crackdown on independent media and watchdogs. The vote came approximately a year after the disputed parliamentary elections, and just 10 months into the non-stop protests that erupted in response to Georgian Dream’s announcement to halt EU integration.
More protests took place in parallel with the vote with the demonstrators clashing with the extensive police force. Following a dispersal of the rally, the ruling party announced further crackdown on protests and the opposition, while several dozen people have already been sent to pre-trial detention over October 4 events.
Since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, pro-Kremlin outlets actively deployed groundless disinformation narratives that the US, the EU, or even Ukraine are aiming to change power in Georgia and drag the country into the war with Russia, to open a ‘second front’ against Moscow and to ease the situation for Kyiv on the Ukrainian front. See our article Russian scripts, Georgian voices: How disinformation targets the country’s Western allies: the US, EU, and UK in Georgia.
Moreover, pro-Kremlin outlets have been warning for a long time of an upcoming ‘colour revolution’ in Georgia in order to pre-emptively shape the information space ahead of what were foreseeable and likely protests against the ruling party, already shaken by previous massive demonstrations against the so-called ‘Foreign Agents Law’. The topic was covered in detail in our analysis.
Pro-Kremlin outlets frequently falsely portray popular protests around the world as "colour revolutions" instigated from abroad, often by the US and the West. The disinformation narrative has been applied, among others, to reports about protests in Georgia, Armenia, 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.
Read also EUvsDisinfo's articles on “Georgia: Resilience in action” and “Georgia: The next colour revolution?”.
Read similar disinformation cases claiming that The UK is preparing another revolution in Georgia, that Artificial protests in Georgia cost the “Deep State” $1 million, that Events in Georgia are a provocation by the US and European political circles, that PACE deputies are striving for a change of government in Georgia, that EU wants to provoke new protests in Georgia, that The EU plans to pay Georgian youth 120 euros per day for anti-government demonstrations, that The Georgian government has been forced to open a “second front”, or that The West wants to force a coup in Georgia.