Thread by @terjehelland

🇬🇪Imedi TV is not just biased—it’s a "machine of evil", built to manipulate, silence, and control.
Under Georgian Dream, it has transformed into a Russian-style propaganda weapon, crushing dissent and distorting reality.
🧵Here are firsthand accounts from those who escaped.

This thread is based on powerful reporting by @OCMediaorg, featuring testimonies from journalists who escaped Imedi’s grip. Their accounts expose how Georgian Dream has weaponized media to maintain power. Full credit to their work.
2/15
oc-media.org/a-cog-in-the-m…

Imedi’s stated goal? Prevent the opposition from ever returning to power. Journalists who defected describe it as a regime tool, spreading disinformation, vilifying critics, and advancing Ivanishvili’s interests—at the cost of Georgia’s democracy.
3/15

Ownership tells the real story. Imedi is controlled by Hunnewell Partners, a London-based firm controlled by Irakli Rukhadze, a mini-oligarch with deep ties to Bidzina Ivanishvili.
This isn’t a TV channel—it’s a strategic weapon in Georgian Dream’s grip on power.
4/15

Former Imedi journalist Keti Partskhaladze spent 10 years at the network. Her verdict? “Today, it has nothing to do with journalism.” Others who resigned describe a relentless purge of independent voices, replaced by orchestrated government propaganda.
5/15

Before the 2020 elections, journalists were ordered to stop investigating government failures. Reports highlighting rural poverty? Canceled.
Instead, only fairy tales of prosperity were allowed—fabricating an alternate reality for voters.
6/15

The control went beyond censorship. Editors issued direct orders from Georgian Dream, dictating how protests were covered, how opposition figures were framed, and which stories never saw the light of day.
State capture of media, in real-time.
7/15

And the propaganda was coordinated by Georgian Dream across pro-government channels. Imedi, Rustavi 2, and POSTV received identical pre-edited clips from government press offices—fabricated narratives disguised as news.
An entire ecosystem of deception.
8/15

During mass protests, Imedi edited footage to shrink the size of the crowds. It downplayed police brutality, ignored journalists being beaten, and labeled demonstrators as “violent radicals.”
One editor quit, saying: “I didn’t want to be part of this lie.”
9/15

Imedi didn’t just protect the government—it attacked its enemies. It labeled Zelensky and the opposition “natsi” (Nazi), targeted civil activists, and smeared EU politicians.
Anyone who dared criticize Georgian Dream was thrown into the fire of disinformation.
10/15

The most chilling part? Imedi’s owner, Irakli Rukhadze, openly admits the channel exists to serve Ivanishvili. His words: “If we criticize Georgian Dream, the person I fear most will return to power.”
This isn’t journalism. It’s subjugation.
11/15

Journalists who refused to lie were forced out. One resigned rather than produce a government propaganda video. Another was told she “had a problem with how she thinks.”
The message was clear: obey, or leave.
12/15

Imedi is a pillar of Georgian Dream’s authoritarian project. It is not a media outlet—it is an instrument of political warfare.
And those behind it must face consequences.
13/15

The US, UK, and EU must sanction Honeywell Partners, Imedi TV, and, above all, Irakli Rukhadze.
Without financial and legal consequences, this machine of evil will continue distorting Georgia’s future.
@DavidLammy @Keir_Starmer @GarethWardUK

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