Whose side is the truth on in the information war?

The information war launched by Tbilisi against Moscow after the August events is being waged as unsuccessfully as the Georgian soldiers' operation to bring South Ossetia back under Georgian jurisdiction. Here is yet more confirmation...

On 26th January the Georgian authorities reported on local television channels that the Russian military is withdrawing Georgian currency from circulation in some regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Parliamentary deputies again started talking of an economic annexation in the "self-proclaimed republics".

"Georgia," indignantly exclaimed the chairman of the commission for territorial integrity Shota Malashkhia on the Georgian radio station Kommersant, "with the support of international organizations, should take measures against Russian banks and companies involved in money laundering." Meaning the 20 Russian banks which are active in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

And he outlined his programme of repressive measures. Firstly, he said that criminal proceedings should be launched against the heads of business structures that are acting illegally, and arrest warrants should be issued against them by Interpol. Secondly, fines should be imposed on them.

At the same time Malashkhia praised the law on the occupied territories adopted by parliament last October. Abkhazia and South Ossetia were declared to be just that. And a special legal framework is being used for them.

In particular, the law makes provisions for a series of legal, economic and political restrictions. This includes against private property. Thus any transaction involved in its buying or selling is invalid. Substantial restrictions have also been made against investing in the conflict regions and on economic cooperation with them.

Admittedly, the Georgian authorities have not yet once managed to impose economic sanctions in the form of fines against those breaking this law (for example, Russian companies which venture to work on the "occupied territories"). As a rule they are content with sending letters to the international community asking for help. And it is no coincidence that Malashkhia talked about the "economic annexation" the day before the PACE winter session opened in Strasbourg on 27th January. There are two reports concerning Georgian-Russian relations on its agenda.

However the aforementioned news release did not succeed in having the effect its authors intended. What is more, it could never have succeeded.

Print version