Ucha Nanuashvili, former Public Defender and head of the non-governmental organization Democracy Research Institute (DRI), confirms that he spoke with individuals who contacted him using Garry Kasparov’s name. However, he asserts that the translation of their conversation is distorted.

Nanuashvili states that segments aired on Russian television have been edited, misrepresenting the original discussion.

“In recent days, various footage has circulated, delighting supporters of Putin, Dugin, and Gavrilov in both Russian and Georgian online spaces. They claim I’m forming informal groups and organizing a Maidan in Georgia. Let’s clarify what is actually happening. The segment aired on Russia’s First Channel, Putin’s main outlet, is manipulated and misleading. In reality, we discussed entirely different topics—essentially the opposite. Our conversation focused on events from the protests last November and December, specifically the involvement of so-called ‘titushki’—informal, armed groups—in violently dispersing citizens and torturing them. This lawlessness persisted for days, resulting in over 500 detentions, many involving these bandits. More than 50 individuals remain imprisoned to this day. I was highlighting how the government facilitated these groups’ actions, which are the real forces at play here,” Nanuashvili explained.

He criticized the situation as ordinary Russian propaganda.

“The de facto government of Georgia is intentionally spreading these messages, supported by propagandistic media that echo the narratives of Russian television. The occupier’s main TV channel disseminates edited and falsified material, yet no one questions this manipulation. Why hasn’t anyone asked whether the segments are edited? Has anyone heard my actual voice, or are we only listening to Russian propagandists and their supposed translations? It’s concerning that Georgian media outlets also propagate these distorted narratives. Just yesterday, I saw comments from the Georgian Dream leadership repeating these messages without proper fact-checking,” Nanuashvili said.

He further regretted the alignment of the Kremlin’s channels with the Georgian government’s messaging.

“It’s troubling that the Kremlin, its main channel, and representatives of the Georgian Dream, along with their media, are promoting a unified narrative. For decades, I have consistently spoken out about human rights violations occurring in our country. I will continue to raise awareness about the breaches that are especially prevalent during this recent wave of repression, particularly since November, when peaceful citizens faced violence from both police and informal armed groups. This tactic, employed by the Kremlin, is being mirrored by the Georgian Dream,” Nanuashvili concluded.