Georgian PM says assault on media representatives “provocation” with “sole purpose to artificially escalate” situation in country

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday said the last night’s assault on media representatives was a “provocation”, with the “sole purpose” of “artificially escalating the situation”, during the ongoing protest rallies on central Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

First of all, I would like to make a statement regarding the attack on media representatives. Unequivocally, this is a provocation, the sole purpose of which might be to artificially escalate the situation. An investigation into this crime has been launched and I have high hopes a perpetrator will be identified as soon as possible."

The head of the Government condemned the attack on the TV Pirveli cameraman, who had suffered physical injuries, saying it was “particularly disturbing” and added that “such facts only serve the interests of radicals, whose main goal is to artificially escalate the situation in our country”.

Kobakhidze thanked “each member of society” for their “very healthy and correct reaction” in relation to the incident and urged the public to condemn violence “in all directions, regardless to whom it is targeted at”.

Late on Saturday evening, individuals with face masks and dressed in black assaulted TV Pirveli journalist Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli, leaving both with mild concussions, during the ongoing protest rally held since November 28 against the Government’s decision to suspend the EU accession talks until 2028.