Amid resumed hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgian Facebook pages and public groups are actively spreading an article by metronome.ge dated May 5, 2018. The article involves alleged quotes by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who talks about spoiled relations between Georgia and Armenia, calling the participation of the Bagramyan Battalion in Abkhazia war “a fatal mistake.”
“Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan believes that the Bagramyan Battalion and its participation in Abkhazia war against Georgia was a fatal mistake made by Armenians that ultimately spoiled Georgian-Armenian relations.”
Reports about Nikol Pashinyan allegedly talking about the Bagramyan Battalion and its participation in the war in Abkhazia against Georgia, calling it “a fatal mistake,” is disinformation. Speaking with Netgazeti, Pashinyan’s Spokesperson, Tigran Avinyan denied the authenticity of the Armenian Prime Minister’s quotes as “disinformation.”
Coverage in 2018
Netgazeti, an online media outlet, reached out to the Armenian Prime Minister’s administration in 2018 over the reports spread by metronome.ge in Georgian media. Armenian Prime Minister’s Spokesperson, Tigran Avinyan denied the reports as disinformation.
No such remarks can be searched on the Internet through open sources either.
Besides, metronome.ge, other Georgian media outlets, including cyc.ge, infonews.ge, reportiori.ge and tbiliselebi.ge also spread the same quotes in 2018. Moreover, in the interview with for.ge, Georgian expert Vakhtang Maisaia cited Pashinyan incorrectly, calling the fake quotes “Pashinyan’s confession.”
Spread in 2020
The news initially spread two years ago re-emerged in social networks in 2020, amid resumption of the armed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 27. On September 29, metronome.ge’s article was spread by Facebook pages ,,დედაქალაქი” (Capital) and ,,თანამოაზრეთა გაერთიანება – საქართველო” (Union of Like-minded People – Georgia).
Besides Facebook pages, the news was spread through open Facebook groups, including ლიდერები მიხეილ სააკაშვილთან ალიანსში / Leaders with Mikheil Saakashvili in Alliance, მილე-New-მი, გავერთიანდეთ მტრის წინააღმდეგ და მიშასეული წინსვლის დასაბრუნებლად!, საქართველო, თავისუფალი კავკასია/free caucasus, ომის ვეტერანები, საზღვრებს მიღმა, ,,აფხაზთა კრება“, ძალა ერთობაშია, LIVE GEORGIA;
About the Bagramyan Battalion
The Bagramyan Battalion was formed during the Abkhazia war in 1992-93. It was predominantly composed of ethnic Armenians living in Gagra, Gudauta and Tkvarcheli districts of Abkhazia. The battalion fought together with Russia-backed Abkhaz separatist forces during the war. It was named in honor of Soviet Armenian Marshal Ivan Bagramyan. (Tramadol)
