Georgian Parliament Speaker says anyone justifying opposition’s destructive actions ‘propagandist for radicals’

Any public figure or spokesperson who justifies the destructive actions of the Georgian opposition represents a propagandist of the radical opposition, said on Thursday Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

In a social media message, Papuashvili noted that commenting on current developments in Georgia, offering intellectual support, or engaging in other expert activities to back political actors “constitutes a clear example of propaganda”.

“The Georgian Prime Minister called on Georgia’s partner countries to condemn the events in Tbilisi on October 4, which were announced by the radical opposition as a revolution and were evaluated as an attempted coup”, he said.

The Speaker added that the silence from diplomatic missions, repeatedly caught interfering in Georgia’s domestic affairs, was neither new nor surprising.

“The parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024, were followed by the opposition’s refusal to recognise the outcome, labeling them fraudulent, street protests, and a total boycott of constitutional political life. These processes were supported by the mentioned diplomatic missions, as well as by radical acts such as Molotov cocktail attacks, hunger strikes, street blockades, school intrusions, bullying, and open campaigns of violence”, Papuashvili continued.

He further highlighted that the factual circumstances and actions, visible to all and widely circulated through traditional and social media, were framed by media figures as “peaceful demonstrations”, “the will of the Georgian people”, “uninterrupted peaceful protest”, “peace marches”, “historic choices of the Georgian people”, “struggle against Russia”, and so forth.

“Commenting on these events, providing intellectual support, or other expert activities in favor of political actors constitutes a clear example of propaganda. Over the past 11 months, various large-scale demonstrations in Tbilisi have clearly aimed at changing the government in an undemocratic way. The opposition employed multiple radical acts and processes to achieve this goal. Therefore, the presence of a radical opposition in the country today is simply a fact”, the Speaker stressed.

“If any public figure fails to recognize marginal forces on the streets as radicals, or the October 4 rally as an attempt to overthrow the government, and chooses less provocative terminology, this does not negate the clear facts, which are supported by numerous arguments”, he continued.

Papuashvili concluded by emphasising that whether it was a university professor who struggled to distinguish between TV media specifics and a lecture hall audience, or any other speaker justifying the destructive actions of the radical opposition - any such person was a propagandist for the radical opposition.

“Denying this is as absurd as claiming that those gathered at 4 p.m. on October 4 were not there to overthrow the government”, he said.

On October 4, large-scale protests in Tbilisi escalated into a dramatic confrontation, as a group of radical demonstrators tried to storm the presidential palace. The unrest occurred on the same day Georgia held municipal elections.

Authorities detained at least five opposition figures, including Paata Burchuladze. They are now facing charges of plotting to overthrow the government - a potential offense that could carry lengthy prison sentences.

Government officials described the events as a failed coup attempt orchestrated with foreign backing. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the protests “an attempted overthrow of the constitutional order”.