Georgia’s ruling party Sec Gen: October 4 detainees are beginning to acknowledge seriousness of their actions

Kakha Kaladze, Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday said that individuals detained in connection with the October 4 events are beginning to recognize the seriousness of their actions, adding that a humanitarian approach remains part of the Georgian Government’s policy.

Kaladze made the remarks while commenting to the media on ongoing court proceedings related to the October 4 case.

He alleged that those involved had attempted to carry out a plan to overthrow the state, which, he said, had been openly discussed in the months leading up to the events.

“On October 4, they attempted to carry out a plan for a coup d’état, something they had openly talked about beforehand. However, the relevant services acted in a timely and appropriate manner, and people have now been detained,” Kaladze said.

He argued that the public was well aware of who stood behind the events, who encouraged those involved and where their funding came from.

“Now that we are discussing banning political parties, is it not clear where the October 4 events originated? Who financed them? Who encouraged them? Do you think people do not understand what is happening, where these processes are being directed from, or who is controlling these individuals?”, he said.

Kaladze also criticized what he described as a lack of condemnation from representatives of EU member states and the European Parliament ahead of October 4.

He claimed that, for months, calls for a government overthrow and revolution had been made openly, and alleged that some external actors had encouraged or supported these efforts.

“Before October 4, there was a direct campaign for months calling for a coup, the overthrow of the government and a revolution. Did you hear any representative or ambassador of an EU member state, or any member of the European Parliament, come forward and condemn all this? How could they condemn it when, as I see it, they were encouraging and supporting these developments?”,Kaladze said.

Despite the seriousness of the alleged offenses, Kaladze noted that some detainees had apologized and admitted their guilt.

He said the authorities were responding with a humanitarian approach.

“It is good that they are beginning to understand the seriousness of the crimes they committed. Humanitarian treatment is part of the Georgian Dream party’s policy”, he concluded.