Georgian Parliament Speaker: Brussels’ silence on October 4 shows direct support for violent seizure of state buildings in Georgia

Addressing the media, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday explained why Western partners did not condemn the October 4 attempt to overthrow the Georgian Government, stressing that this was not the first time Brussels remained silent on such incidents and asserting that the violence had external backing.

“We must see the full picture, because this is not an isolated case. We have repeatedly witnessed a deafening silence from Brussels and its embassies. It happened last year when the Parliament building was nearly set on fire. To this day, no statement has been issued regarding that incident. This emboldened violent groups to storm the Presidential Palace, and now we face silence again. This is no longer a case of double standards - it is outright support for the violent seizure of state buildings in Georgia”, the Speaker said.

“We saw this support first in the spokesperson’s statement endorsing the violence announced for October 4, and now we see it through their silence. Unfortunately, this is a reality we must confront. There is a clear attempt to change the government through violent means, and behind this stand not just foreign powers, but various European structures involved in it. During the storming of the Presidential Palace - at a time when the country was brought close to the chaos of the 1990s - we saw European politicians, including the President of Moldova, openly support the storming of the Presidential Palace and violence. It was clear that this violence had external backing”, he concluded.

“It was clear that the violence was supported from the outside”, the Parliament Speaker concluded.

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”.