Georgia’s ruling party Sec Gen: October 4 case shows months-long campaign aimed at coup

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said that the October 4 case involved defendants who acted on prior instructions, noting that political campaigns calling for a Government overthrow had been underway for months.

In his remarks, Kaladze highlighted that discussions of a coup had been public and ongoing for months, with some parties actively executing instructions to destabilise the Government.

“For months, there was a campaign regarding a coup. Specific political parties and politicians were talking about a coup and the overthrow of the Government. They gathered and had already begun executing this plan. However, the relevant services acted at a very high professional level and stopped this serious act - the attempted state coup that had already been set in motion”, he said.

The official also noted that authorities repeatedly urged these actors to avoid illegal and harmful actions, but they disregarded warnings and pursued their own path.

“We made statements many times, even while the campaign was ongoing and the discussions of overthrow and coup were direct. We urged them not to take such steps. I personally made statements about this issue several times. We requested that they avoid actions that would be harmful to themselves and refrain from illegal acts. They did not comply - they had their own path, had received instructions, began executing them, and the state, of course, is acting within the law”, Kaladze 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 five opposition figures, including Paata Burchuladze. They are now facing charges of plotting to overthrow the Government - a potential offence 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”.