Between September 18 and 24, Facebook accounts, including anonymous ones such as “Mriskhane Babuatsvera” [“Angry Dandelion”] and “Giga Chergoleishvili,” published a screenshot of a Facebook post allegedly from the political party Federalists. The image shows a livestream by the party leader, Tamar Chergoleishvili, with the caption, “I have completed the erosion of the regime. To overcome the crisis, I am ready to form a technical government and temporarily take the post of Prime Minister.”
The circulated screenshot of the Federalists’ post is fake. The party’s actual post has a different description. In the livestream of September 18, Chergoleishvili stated that she does not support the idea of a technical government.
The circulated screenshot is fake. The real post, used to create a fake screenshot, was published on the Federalists’ page on September 18. The real post attached a livestream of the party leader, Tamar Chergoleishvili, during which she answered questions about local elections and other political topics. The genuine caption of the post read, “Participation in the October 4 farce is harmful to national interests | Tamara’s Live.”
In that livestream, Tamar Chergoleishvili was also asked about the idea of a technical government and the position of interim Prime Minister. She responded that she does not support the idea of a technical government.
Tamar Chergoleishvili (from 45:28): “We will not agree to the creation of a technical government at all, because a technical government is yet another imposition on the Georgian people of someone they did not choose, and another proposal for a technical government would be complete madness; it would be spitting directly in the face of the Georgian people. The only thing we will agree to is a transitional team to prepare for elections, to be led by Salome Zourabichvili, as the last legitimate institution in this country – one who is recognized in the West, is considered a representative of the protest, and is seen as the institution holding the last vestige of legitimacy. She should oversee and conduct the new parliamentary elections. That alone we might agree to, not a technical government…”
It is noteworthy that the Federalists’ livestream began on September 18 at 21:06, while the first fake post appeared the same day at 21:15, i.e., when the livestream was still ongoing.
The fake post was disseminated within minutes by the anonymous accounts “Mriskhane Babuatsvera” and “Giga Chergoleishvili.” It is likely that the original source of the forged screenshot was “Mriskhane Babuatsvera.” Myth Detector has previously fact-checked numerous falsified screenshots spread in the same style by this account (1; 2; 3; 4). The account claims to be “Tedo Abashidze” and operates multiple profiles under this and other names. It is also likely that the second anonymous account, “Giga Chergoleishvili,” which spread the fake screenshot, is connected to “Mriskhane Babuatsvera.” This account also systematically shares falsified posts in the same style. The anonymous profile indicates that it works for the party Federalists and uses a photoshopped image of Tamar Chergoleishvili as well as the Federalists’ logo.
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