Georgian President: nationwide uprising and Russian influence mark Georgia’s crisis

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili described the current unrest in Georgia as an unprecedented nationwide uprising, citing large-scale protests in both major and smaller cities in response to the Governmnet’s post-election move last week to halt the country’s EU accession talks until 2028.

In an interview with France Inter, she characterized the October 26 parliamentary elections as having been “skillfully stolen with the help of Russia and the Russian system.”

Zourabichvili also highlighted ongoing “Russian repressions” in the country, alleging the use of narcotics to enhance the endurance of special forces tasked with suppressing demonstrations. “Today, we are witnessing Russian repressions carried out by special forces clearly under the influence of narcotics, evidenced by their brutality. They are being given amphetamine or similar substances, enabling them to sustain five nights of violence. Despite this, our young people remain resilient, enduring extraordinary brutality,” she said.