Republic of Georgia alleges foreign disinfo campaign sought to scare off Russian tourists

Georgia's State Security Service has opened a criminal investigation into an alleged foreign disinformation campaign that it says sought to portray the country as unsafe and unwelcoming for Russian tourists.

In a statement on Wednesday, the authorities blamed fake social media accounts allegedly "directed from abroad and supported from within Georgia" for spreading fabricated stories claiming Georgians were mistreating Russian tourists, including allegations that restaurant workers contaminated their food or abandoned them in remote forests.

The posts, initially shared on the social media platform X, were later amplified as part of a coordinated campaign by a foreign online media outlet with millions of followers, the security service said, without identifying the outlet.

"The campaign aims to create the false impression, through the spread of disinformation, that Georgia has become a hostile environment for tourists from Russia," the agency said, adding that the operation is damaging Georgia's national and economic interests.

The investigation was launched under the sabotage article of Georgia's criminal code, which carries a prison sentence of up to four years upon conviction. 

According to Georgian outlet Paper Kartuli, screenshots of the alleged fake posts were widely circulated by the Russian Telegram channel Mash, which has more than 3 million subscribers. Among the posts were claims by purported restaurant employees that they had intentionally urinated in meat or spat into dishes served to Russian customers. The authenticity of the posts has not been independently verified.

The security service's announcement comes days before the anniversary of the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, a five-day conflict over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia subsequently recognized both territories as independent states, while most of the international community continues to regard them as part of Georgia under Russian military occupation.

Georgia's security service did not identify the foreign country from which it said the alleged fake accounts were operated or publicly provide evidence linking any government or organization to the campaign.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused opponents of the ruling Georgian Dream party of promoting anti-Russian narratives on behalf of foreign interests. Other senior officials from Georgian Dream and its ally, People's Power, made similar accusations.

According to a 2024 report by the Institute for the Study of War, Georgia's ruling party has increasingly adopted rhetoric that echoes Kremlin talking points. Researchers have said Georgian Dream has repeatedly shifted responsibility for the 2008 war away from Russia by blaming former President Mikheil Saakashvili and unspecified "external actors," mirroring narratives promoted by Moscow to justify its actions in Georgia and, later, in Ukraine.

Relations between Tbilisi and Kyiv have also deteriorated. In 2024, Ukraine imposed sanctions on 19 senior Georgian officials, including Kobakhidze and several allies of Georgian Dream, accusing them of helping steer the country toward Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said those targeted were "selling the interests of Georgia and its people" and urged Western partners to adopt similar measures.