Georgian Parliament Speaker condemns attacks on Tbilisi election headquarters of Georgian Dream as clear example of foreign interference

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday condemned recent attacks on the Tbilisi election headquarters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, calling the development a clear example of foreign interference aimed at creating a violent pre-election environment.

In a social media message, Papuashvili noted that in addition to extremist groups incited by certain foreign diplomats, externally funded propaganda platforms were also involved in these processes.

“Attacks on the Georgian Dream’s Tbilisi election headquarters by UNM-affiliated goons are a clear example of foreign interference in the elections, aimed at creating a violent pre-election environment. Alongside extremist groups spurred on by some foreign diplomats, foreign-funded propaganda platforms are also engaged in this process - including Brussels-funded [outlet] Netgazeti, which not only spreads violent propaganda but also directly organises violent attacks on the Georgian Dream’s election headquarters”, he said.

“We have seen biased, partisan, even yellow media before, but this phenomenon of ‘violent media’ is a new one - a product created by foreign donors, similar to Rwanda’s ‘Radio Mille Collines’”, Papuashvili concluded.