Georgian security officials have issued a warning about an alleged plan to distribute fake video and audio recordings to spark unrest ahead of key parliamentary elections later this month.
According to the State Security Service of Georgia (SUS), unspecified politically affiliated groups are preparing to release fake recordings of Georgian government representatives that were created through artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.
The warning comes amid heightened political tensions in Georgia, especially following the adoption of the controversial “foreign agent” law earlier this year and underscores the high stakes surrounding the elections, which are scheduled for October 26.
SEE ALSO: The U.S. And Georgia Used To Be Close Friends. But Ahead Of Critical Elections, They're Hardly Speaking.The SUS statement, issued on October 16, claims the purpose of the falsified recordings is to "provoke a confrontation between branches of the government and worsen its relations with the Orthodox Church and Western partners.”
SUS warns that those behind the plan intend to present the falsified recordings as leaked information from the SUS itself, aiming to discredit the agency and sow discord within Georgia’s political structure.
“This provocation is designed to incite protest and destabilize the country for political gains,” the SUS stated, adding it is closely monitoring the activities of the groups involved and will take legal action if necessary.
Georgian authorities have repeatedly voiced concerns about potential attempts to trigger a “color revolution” in the country similar to the one known as Euromaidan in Ukraine in 2014 that toppled Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych and overthrow the current government of the South Caucasus nation, although no concrete evidence has been provided to support these claims.
Meanwhile, Tbilisi has been criticized recently for its increasingly close ties to Moscow, with the European Union and the United States expressing concerns over Georgia's democratic backsliding.
The "foreign agent" law, for example, has been widely criticized for being similar to a Russian law used to muzzle free press and dissent.
SEE ALSO: Georgia's Ruling Party Plays The Ukraine War CardExacerbating tensions, Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on October 3 signed into law a bill that rights groups, the opposition, and the international community say drastically curbs the rights of the country's LGBT community.
The ruling Georgian Dream party, founded by Russian-friendly Georgian tycoon and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party's top candidate for the upcoming elections, has insisted it remains committed to joining Western institutions.
Georgia's civil society has for years sought to move the country away from the influence of Russia, which still maintains thousands of troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian regions that Moscow recognized as independent states following a five-day war with Tbilisi in 2008.