Georgian Parliament Speaker says Dutch Embassy violates international law by funding disinformation actors

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said the Embassy of the Netherlands should realise that by funding disinformation actors it is violating international law.

In a social media message, Papuashvili noted that a group disseminating demonstrably false information was operating through media outlets registered under fake credentials in Estonia.

“I do not know what kind of group this is that is spreading the completely exposed falsehoods of a media outlet with fake registration in Estonia, but they indicate that the Dutch Government is among those who finance them”, the Speaker said.

He further emphasised that responsibility for the dissemination of false information lies not only with those who spread it, but also with those who fund them.

“The Embassy of the Netherlands must realise that by funding disinformation actors it is violating international law”, Papuashvili concluded.

Papuashvili last Thursday claimed the European Union was using indirect schemes to exert political influence in Georgia by channeling funds into politics without the consent of the Georgian people.

He presented what he described as photo evidence and registration documents showing that several Georgian non-governmental and media organisations were registered at the same address in Estonia, with the address corresponding to a dilapidated, partially ruined building located next to a railway line, which he said raises questions about the credibility of the organisations allegedly registered there.