Georgian Parliament Speaker: foreign donors damaged their own reputation by funding protest activities in Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday accused foreign donors of harming their credibility by financing protest activities in Tbilisi.

In his remarks, Papuashvili claimed that EU-funded NGOs purchased equipment to assist demonstrators during rallies and that disinformation campaigns were being supported through foreign grants.

“The ones to blame for all of this are the donors themselves, who tarnished their own reputation when it turned out that, during the protests - for example, in December - NGOs were purchasing equipment with EU funds to help demonstrators resist the police”, he said.

“It has been confirmed that disinformation and propaganda are being financed through foreign grants. It has also been confirmed that fake reports related to elections were funded by these donors,” Papuashvili noted.

He stressed that foreign donors should self-reflect rather than accusing Georgian citizens of being responsible for political disruptions, noting that their actions had damaged trust in international support and credibility.