Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Sunday that protesters who sought to force entry to the presidential palace the previous evening had been trying to topple the government and accused the European Union of meddling in Georgia's affairs.
Georgian riot police used pepper spray and water cannons to desperse the demonstrators away from the presidential palace in the capital Tbilisi on Saturday.
Five activists were detaomed in the incident which saw the opposition stage a large demonstration on the day of local elections.
On Sunday, the State Security Service said it had discovered a large cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives and a detonator in a forest outside Tbilisi and said were intended for "subversive acts" at Saturday's protest.
It said a Georgian citizen, whom it identified only by the individual's initials, had purchased the arms at the behest of another Georgian fighting in Ukraine, according to the statement cited by the Interpress news agency.
Kobakhidze said that up to 7,000 people attended Saturday's rally but their "attempt to overthrow the constitutional order" had failed despite what he said was support from Brussels.
He accused EU Ambassador Paweł Herczynski of meddling in Georgian politics and urged him to condemn the protests.
"You know that specific people from abroad have even expressed direct support for all this, for the announced attempt to overthrow the constitutional order," Interpress cited Kobakhidze as saying.
"In this context, the European Union ambassador to Georgia bears special responsibility. He should come out, distance himself and strictly condemn everything that is happening on the streets of Tbilisi."
In a statement on Sunday, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kops said the bloc "firmly rejects and condemns the disinformation regarding the EU's role in Georgia and denounces the personal attacks against the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia."
The statement said the election had taken place "amid a period of extensive crackdown on dissent" and urged authorities and civil society against engaging in violence.
The governing Georgian Dream party claimed victory in every municipality across the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million people in Saturday's municipal election, which was boycotted by the two largest opposition blocs.
Georgia's pro-Western opposition has been staging protests since October last year, when Georgian Dream won a parliamentary election that its critics say was fraudulent. The party has rejected accusations of vote-rigging.
Once one of the most pro-Western nations to emerge from the ashes of the Soviet Union, Georgia has had frayed relations with the West since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
At least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern and southern Gaza Strip on Sunday (15 February), Palestinian civil defenc...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will begin a two-day visit to Slovakia and Hungary on Sunday (15 February), aimed at strengthening ties with the t...
The Munich Security Conference concludes on Sunday (15 February) with discussions centred on Europe’s role in an increasingly unstable global landsc...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 15th of February, covering the latest developments you need to...
Australia will spend A$3.9bn to build a new shipyard for AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced, marking a ma...
Britain, France, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands said on Saturday (14 February) they are convinced that late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was poisoned with a lethal toxin in a Russian penal colony two years ago.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia’s decision to change the leadership of its delegation for upcoming peace talks in Geneva appeared to be an attempt to delay progress.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
Austria’s Janine Flock won the gold medal in the women’s skeleton event at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Saturday.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said China has the power to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, arguing that Beijing is enabling Moscow’s military campaign.
American figure skating star Ilia Malinin endured a dramatic collapse in the men’s free skate on Friday night, falling twice and tumbling out of medal contention at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics as Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov surged to a surprise gold medal.
“Respected and feared globally,” U.S. President Donald Trump told troops at Fort Bragg on Friday (13 February), framing America’s renewed strength against to mounting pressure on Iran amid stalled nuclear talks.
Dubai-based global ports operator DP World said on Friday that its long-serving chairman and chief executive, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, has stepped down following mounting pressure linked to alleged ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking at Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha calls for decisive steps ahead of expected Geneva talks
At least nine Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern and southern Gaza Strip on Sunday (15 February), Palestinian civil defence and health officials said, in what Israel's military called a response to Hamas ceasefire violations.
Israel’s National Guard is preparing to deploy drones capable of firing tear gas at Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as part of security preparations ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Israeli Channel 12 reported on Saturday.
President Ilham Aliyev met with Jared Cohen, President of Global Affairs at The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., in Munich on 14 February to discuss ongoing cooperation and future partnership opportunities. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference 2026.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich on Friday to discuss expanding cooperation between the two countries, officials said. Leaders hold talks on energy, humanitarian aid and bilateral ties.
President Ilham Aliyev said the naming of the TRIPP corridor after U.S. President Donald Trump signals that the project will remain a priority for the current American administration and its successors.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment