page_title: 2010 Georgian news report hoax
section_title: The broadcast
hierarchical_section_title: 2010 Georgian news report hoax / The broadcast
caption_attribution_description: English: Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi, March 22, 2008
context_page_description: The 2010 Georgian news report hoax was a fake news report aired by Georgian television station Imedi TV on 13 March 2010.
context_section_description: Special Report is a weekly programme which is broadcast on Imedi TV on Saturdays at 8:30pm. On 13 March 2010, Imedi brought forward the programme to 7:59pm, the timeslot allocated to Chronicle. Chronicle which runs at 8:00pm is a major source of information for Imedi TV viewers.
  The fake news report, which heavily utilised footage from the 2008 war in South Ossetia, began by Imedi accusing the Georgian opposition of the organisation of protests in Tbilisi due to alleged fraud in the Tbilisi city elections which were scheduled for 30 May. During the protests, unknown gunmen opened fire on the protestors, killing some. As a result, the opposition pleaded for the international community to assist in ousting the "Saakashvili tyranny". Following the protest in Tbilisi, an ambush in the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali occurred, which killed the President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity. Moscow announced that it held proof of the involvement of Georgian security services in the Kokoity assassination, which Russia deemed to be a terrorist attack. Allegedly pro-Russian opposition politicians, led by Nino Burdzhanadze and Zurab Nogaideli travelled to Tskhinval and accused Saakashvili of the killing of Kokoity. After the assassination, Russian Army troops were mobilized and put on high alert. Georgian Army troops were mobilized, and took defensive positions around Tbilisi with heavy artillery. A people's government with Burdzhanadze at the helm declared the government of Saakashvili "illegal". Other Georgian opposition politicians who were held up as collaborators with the Russians included Zurab Dzidziguri, Kakha Kukava, Koba Davitashvili, Levan Gachechiladze and Giorgi Khaindrava. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is shown, with a Georgian voiceover, allegedly saying “Since the Saakashvili regime began open terrorism against South Ossetia, this international criminal must be stopped. I have ordered a military operation, and call on the Georgian people not to resist the troops that bring them freedom.”  The broadcast then showed Russian tanks, which were based in the Akhalgori region in South Ossetia, entering the Georgian capital, and several Georgian battalions were reported to have defected and sided with the people's government. Saakashvili is pronounced as having possibly been assassinated, which was allegedly announced by the Movement for Fair Georgia; the political party headed by former Georgian Prime Minister and current opposition politician, Zurab Nogaideli. However, other reports had stated that Saakashvili was alive in a hidden location and still in command. The broadcast stated that the West stood by and issued only "halfhearted protests". A speech said to have been given by President Saakashvili is shown, where he stated that Russia wanted to become an Empire, and instructed all eligible Georgians to join the military. Meanwhile, Russian planes are reported to have bombed targets all over Georgia, and Georgian volunteers are reported to be engaged in combat in Mtskheta. The report also included the scenario of the aircraft carrying Polish President Lech Kaczyński to Tbilisi being blown up, leading to the Polish President's death.
caption: President Mikheil Saakashvili was reported to have been assassinated in the fake report.
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