Georgian PM: McCain Institute's “dreams of seeing casualties” in ongoing Georgian protests “will not come true”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday dismissed allegations by the Washington-based McCain Institute over violence against ongoing protests in Tbilisi and other regions of the country against the Government's decision to suspend European Union accession talks until 2028, accusing the organisation of “wishing to see casualties” in the demonstrations to “advance their narrative”.

Speaking at a press conference, Kobakhidze criticised the Institute’s statement this week, which described risks of fatalities in the protests by saying it was a “miracle that no one has been killed yet” and warned that possible deaths “at the hands of Government-affiliated forces” could further destabilise the political environment.

Kobakhidze rejected the claims, saying “it seems they hoped to see casualties during these days, but our law enforcement system managed to confront systematic and brutal violence effectively. Thank God that everything ended not only without victims but also without any special complications. The McCain Institute’s dreams are not destined to come true”. 

The Institute’s mission to Georgia, dispatched between December 9-13, aimed to evaluate the environment following the October 26 general elections, which it claimed had been “neither free nor fair”, and to “demonstrate international support and presence” in the country.