“It is alarming when an ambassador is directly involved in spreading disinformation, and doubly alarming that this is done through meetings with students, imposing a disinformation narrative and effectively brainwashing them,” said Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia. He was responding to a question about reports that “the British Ambassador met with students and spoke about how political relations between the two countries have been damaged because there is anti-democratic pressure on the opposition and civil society in Georgia.”

According to Papuashvili, this is a lie and a politically orchestrated campaign against the Georgian government.

“Can you imagine if the Georgian Ambassador went to universities in the United Kingdom and engaged in a political campaign against the British government? This is a political campaign against the Georgian government, in which the British Ambassador is involved, spreading lies and disinformation. When the ambassador himself is involved in spreading anti-Georgian disinformation aimed at a political campaign against the government, it is no surprise that BBC disseminates disinformation. On the contrary, this raises further questions that society is asking: who is really behind the BBC report – is it the independent initiative of a single journalist, or a hybrid operation against Georgia involving state participation? Unfortunately, the personal involvement of the British Ambassador in spreading disinformation and promoting a false narrative against the government fuels such suspicions among our society,” Papuashvili stated.