On October 22, the anti-opposition Facebook page “Time for Truth” published a video in which one of the leaders of the “Coalition for Change,” Nika Gvaramia, addresses his wife from the stage, saying, “I want to introduce my wife, your fellow citizen, my greatest love, my greatest support…” Afterward, journalist Giorgi Gabunia is seen approaching the stage. The video ends with the caption, “Don’t go back to the past. It’s time for truth!”
The video featuring Nika Gvaramia and Giorgi Gabunia is altered, made from two separate clips that are unrelated. In the beginning of the video, Gvaramia addresses his wife, Sopho Liluashvili, during a party conference. The second part of the video is from an episode of X Factor, aired eight years ago.
On October 9, the “Coalition for Change,” which includes “Droa,” “Girchi,” and “Akhali,” held a pre-election rally in Kutaisi. During the meeting, politicians Nika Melia, Nika Gvaramia, Tsotne Koberidze, and Giga Lemonjava gave speeches. At the end, they introduced members of their parliamentary list to the voters in Kutaisi.
In his speech, Gvaramia talked about Kutaisi. He noted that in the history of Georgia’s independence, it served as the country’s capital for the longest period. He also mentioned that Kutaisi is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The politician added that his wife, Sopho Liluashvili, was born and raised in Kutaisi and then invited her to the stage. The leader of “Coalition for Change” said: “My dear friends, I would like to introduce my wife, your fellow citizen, born and raised here, Sopho Liluashvili. She is my greatest love, my greatest support, my dearest Kutaisian in life. Come on up, Sopho.” It is worth noting that the part where the politician calls Sopho Liluashvili by name is cut out in the altered video circulating on social media.
As for the continuation of the video with Giorgi Gabunia’s appearance on stage, it is from X Factor. Eight years ago, journalist Giorgi Gabunia was one of the judges in the third season of the show. The video circulating on social media is from the so-called “four chairs” round, where Gabunia approaches the stage to say goodbye to one of the contestants.
During the pre-election period, discrediting campaigns against the opposition leader intensified. Nika Gvaramia is frequently targeted on social media with disinformation, visual manipulations, and altered videos. Myth Detector actively monitors and investigates such posts.
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