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.
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concer...
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic miss...
Türkiye has established four sub-commissions to oversee the implementation of a new legal framework tied to the disarmament of the outlawed Ku...
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
A newly created pro-government political party has secured a commanding victory in Kazakhstan's snap parliamentary election, according to exit polls, strengthening President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's influence at a pivotal moment in the country's political transition.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Türkiye has established four sub-commissions to oversee the implementation of a new legal framework tied to the disarmament of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Central Asia is moving beyond experiments with digital assets as governments begin putting new forms of digital money into practice.
Parents in Gaza are being urged to stop their children flying kites after Israel threatened tougher military action over those drifting across the border.
Armenia is “free” to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said. He made the remarks after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would be “very pleased” if the Russian-led military alliance expelled Armenia.
Armenia’s Anti-Corruption Committee has disclosed details of a criminal case involving former President Robert Kocharyan, saying he and five other people - including his son - have been detained as part of a corruption investigation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment