To quell the impact of pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns ahead of the milestone October parliamentary elections, the government, Facebook and civil society organisations will need to take more proactive measures.

Georgia has been particularly affected by Russian information operations, especially in light of its troubled political relations with Moscow and the country’s generally unabated pro-western course. Over the last few years, large numbers of Kremlin-funded and domestic news websites and social media pages have carried out a massive information offensive against the country, undermining societal trust towards the West, public institutions and civil society organisations. They have been particularly active in the electoral periods, campaigning extensively against liberal values and liberal-minded politicians.

Abkhazia has seen an unprecedented amount foreign exposure in the last few months. First, it caught the attention of international media thanks to the Sochi Olympics, conducted just a few miles away from the Abkhazian section of the Georgian-Russian border. Recent events in Ukraine have doubled interest towards this tiny Caucasus region; the occupation of Crimea resonated with what happened six years ago in Georgia, when Russian president, Vladimir Putin, took advantage of local skirmishes and established a firm military presence in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

On October 1st the Georgian people went to the polls to elect their 150-seat supreme assembly. Georgian Dream, a coalition of multiple oppositional parties unified under the billionaire politician Bidzina Ivanishvili, captured a strong parliamentary majority. This much unexpected turnout of events opened up a discussion on the possible future of Georgian-Russian relations, which entered […]