Georgian Prime Minister slams OSCE/ODIHR statement as “absurdity”, “Goebbelsian propaganda”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday sharply criticised a statement issued by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), labeling it “absurdity” and suggesting it reflects a “very serious situation” within the European bureaucracy.

Kobakhidze’s remarks came after the OSCE/ODIHR on Tuesday stated that “Georgian authorities continue to detain and fine peaceful protesters for exercising their rights” and called on the Georgian authorities “to ensure that civil society and human rights defenders are not targeted and that their voices are heard”.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze argued that equating attempts to overthrow the government with other specific details mentioned by the organization was fundamentally flawed.

“This is the absurdity we are talking about. On one side, there is an attempt to overthrow the government, and on the other, there are some specific details. How can you, first of all, equally put these two issues on the scale, and second - the nonsense that is completely evident in this statement. It is absolutely clear that there was heavy violence. I will remind you that 15 police officers needed hospitalization, two of whom truly survived death by the grace of God. On this backdrop, representatives of ODIHR are talking about some other topics, and this also indicates that a very serious situation has been created in the entire European bureaucracy. The injustice that we see is also related to this”, the PM said.

The Prime Minister went on to escalate his criticism by invoking a historical comparison, accusing the actions of the European bureaucracy of resembling propaganda.

“Mr. Goebbels was also from Europe, who was known for this type of propaganda. These shameful lies and statements we are hearing from the European bureaucracy are truly a continuation of Goebbelsian propaganda. Goebbels was also in Europe when he was active in the most powerful state in Europe in the 1940s, and Goebbelsian propaganda cannot return to Europe”, he concluded.