Spin doctors to the autocrats: how European PR firms whitewash repressive regimes Mother Teresa doesn’t need our services. She isn’t going to come to us as a client. It’s always the difficult issues. If someone is willing to spend money on media relations, it’s because they have a problem. - Ivo Ilic Gabara of PR firm BGR Gabara, 2011.1 Corporate Europe Observatory 1. ContentsSummary and Summary and Contents Summary Contents Repressive regimes outsourcing their diplomacy Introduction page 4 to public relations firms, lobbyists, and front groups, is increasingly big business in Europe. 1. Russia: European PR firms as This little-examined area of work involves lob- mouthpieces for the Kremlin page 13 byists laundering the reputations of dictators, Despite Russia invading Ukraine, brinkmanship over gas seeking lucrative trade and investment deals, supplies, and US and European sanctions, PR firms still pushing back against sanctions, smearing dis- work as Putin’s mouthpiece in Brussels and European sidents and opponents, and electioneering. Yet capitals whether pressuring the EU institutions or their 2. Rwanda: rebranding – despite war member-states, these lobbyists are often working crimes and repression page 17 below the radar. In contrast the US has strict reporting requirements for representatives of Accused by the UN of war crimes in the DRC, PR firms foreign agents. This kind of activity must come rebrand Rwanda | Attack site created by spin doctors to under better regulation along ethical guidelines, discredit Rwanda’s critics and democratic scrutiny via a mandatory EU 3. Bangladesh: seeking support Transparency Register for lobbyists, as per the for executions page 20 report’s recommendations. The report contains 18 case studies of PR firms and lobbying asso- Brussels and London PR firms help government manage its international reputation as it executes political opponents ciations based in Europe working for repressive in war crimes trials regimes accused of war crimes and human rights violations. 4. Azerbaijan: oil, gas, and caviar diplomacy page 22 Lavish trips and gifts for EU politicians | Well-funded front group promoting Azeri friendship | MEPs approve a fraud- ulent election | British Lord promoting European Olympics for Azeri dictatorship 5. Nigeria: Boko Haram catastrophe spun by PR electioneers page 26 Electioneering by PR firm deflects international criticism and popular rage at the Nigerian Government in the wake of Boko Haram’s attacks 2 Summary and Contents Spin doctors to the autocrats 1. ContentsSummary and 6. Ukraine: protecting the assets 12. Georgia: the billionaire’s dream page 46 of a fallen regime page 28 The billionaire who created a party and rose to power on a Brussels law and lobbying firm defends the toppled tide of lobbying money Ukrainian Prime Minister from assets seizure by the EU | How Yanukovych paid a PR firm to smear imprisoned po- litical opponent Other cases: 7. Uzbekistan: cotton slavery still big business page 31 13. Ethiopia: Brussels-based embassy UK government’s trade association with Uzbek cotton in- communications help page 48 dustry group, promoting an industry that uses slave labour 14. Côte d’Ivoire: after war, little justice page 49 8. Kenya: crimes against humanity no obstacle to Presidency with PR help page 34 15. Democratic Republic of Congo: war crimes Accused by International Criminal Court of crimes against at home, French PR handlers abroad page 50 humanity, Presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta hired a PR firm to discredit the ICC during his election campaign 16. Benin: the PR men, the Brussels 9. Bahrain: crushing the Arab Spring page 36 assassination plot, the fugitive tycoon, and the President page 51 PR firms cleanse Bahrain’s image during ongoing crack- down against democracy protesters | Communications specialists help track dissent online 17. United Arab Emirates - Ras al- Khaimah: the feuding princes and 10. Kazakhstan: favoured dictator the Brussels connection page 52 of former EU leaders page 39 Ex PM club shines dictator’s image | Brussels think tank is 18. Qatar: astroturfing support for a front group for Kazakhstan | PR group helps Kazakhstan the 2022 World Cup page 53 lead OSCE | PR firm massages Wikipedia entries | World Expo to be held in Astana 11. Israel: redefining ‘occupied’ territories, fighting the boycott page 43 The Israel lobby in Brussels spins the bombing of Gaza | Deflecting the boycott, sanctions, and divestment Spin doctors to the autocrats Summary and Contents 3 1. Introduction Introduction From all around the world, dictators, repressive Andrew Stroehlein, the European Media regimes, and governments that abuse human Director of Human Rights Watch told CEO: rights are paying European public relations firms “Paranoia costs a lot of money. These regimes can and lobby consultancies to whitewash their im- vastly outspend human rights organisations on ages, smear dissidents and opponents, run their any campaign, by an order of ten or fifty to one. elections, hide their abuses, and lobby for lucra- Ironically, it would actually be cheaper and more tive investment, trade deals, aid, and political effective for these regimes to just release political support with the EU institutions and member prisoners than to pay firms around Europe to try states. At the heart of the EU in Brussels, and and get meetings and media coverage and influ- across European capitals, public relations profes- ence, to attempt to reputation-wash dictators. sionals and lobbying consultants are working for But that’s the mentality of authoritarianism.” some of the world’s most autocratic regimes and human rights abusers. While some firms and lobbyists working for these clients in Brussels are entered in the EU’s To take just a few examples from the case stud- voluntary Transparency Register, others do not ies in this report, while the EU is imposing appear on it at all, and those that do may be wide-ranging economic sanctions on Russia omitting controversial clients. Even where they over its military annexation of the Crimea, the are registered, many of the budgets claimed may Kremlin’s contracted PR firm be inaccurate.2 As a result, it is almost impossible PR professionals are working GPlus – which employs sever- for the public to find reliable information about for some of the world’s al former spokespeople of the who all the firms or the governments in ques- European Commission – con- tion are, how much they spend, what they are most autocratic regimes tinues to conduct press and lobbying about, and whether they are successful and human rights abusers. lobbying for Putin, communi- in their aims. Continuing to allow this activity cating Russia’s gas brinkman- to go un-monitored is a shameful indictment of ship and its bullish position on Ukraine. Bahrain democracy in the EU. crushes opposition from democracy rights ac- tivists while its PR firms spin positive coverage Indeed, this report showcasing eighteen case for their client. Azerbaijan funds lavish trips for studies of repressive regimes and countries ac- EU politicians while imprisoning journalists and cused of war crimes or other very serious human campaigners. The dictatorship of Kazakhstan rights abuses that have enlisted the help of PR creates a Brussels front group to push its inter- firms in Europe, can only be considered the tip ests, as well as recruiting current and former of a larger iceberg. Needless to say, due to the European leaders, from Roman Prodi to Gerhard weakness of lobby reporting requirements, the Schröder to Tony Blair, as political advisers. The more controversial the client, the less likely it is President of Nigeria hires a London PR firm to to have been uncovered by our research. run his election campaign and distract from his catastrophic handling of Boko Haram. Likewise, The President of the European Commission leaders from Rwanda, Kenya, and Benin, have Jean-Claude Juncker has in theory committed to war crimes, human rights persecutions, and replace the current voluntary lobby register in troublesome elections at home whitewashed in the EU with a mandatory one. For this to be ef- Europe. fective, however, it will be vital that the proposal is legally-binding upon lobbyists to register and 4 Introduction Spin doctors to the autocrats 1. Introduction to disclose far more information than is current- lobbyists in Brussels.3 While most represent cor- ly required. It should be noted that the United porate interests, governments outsourcing their States’ Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) diplomacy is a growing area of business for lobby requires all lobbyists working for any foreign consultancies. government to be registered, and this should be an explicit requirement for a new mandatory reg- While embassies are still important, they may ister for Europe. simply not be able to handle all the logistics and complexities of modern diplomacy. In addition, the code of conduct attached to the EU’s lobbying register should add to its existing The kinds of activity these public relations requirements of ethical behaviour, prohibiting firms perform for their government clients are the representation by private firms of regimes not so different to those they perform for their the EU considers to be in breach of human rights. corporate ones. “Our clients are with us because Representation of these clients should result in a we are their eyes and ears in Brussels and some- ‘blacklist’ with the EU institutions boycotting the times their mouth,” says Karl Isaksson, the EU firms in question, either for listening to their lob- Chief of lobbying firm Kreab Gavin Anderson.4 bying representation on any case, or contracting In particular, these governments are paying communications work from them. Simply put, Brussels lobbyists to gain better access to EU in- there is no legitimate business case for the PR stitutions and sell their point of view. Big lobby representation of war criminals, torturers, and firms are able to pay to hire former EU officials human rights abusers.