TBILISI -- Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened anti-government activists with further arrests as tensions remained high in the Caucasus nation following a weekend of mass protests in the capital, Tbilisi.
"Several people have already been arrested. First and foremost, the organizers of the attempted overthrow," Kobakhidze told reporters on October 5 as crowds gathered again for a potential night of fresh pro-Europe protests.
"No one will go unpunished...Many more must expect sentences for the violence they carried out against the state and law-enforcement," he added.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that "we will take appropriate measures to ensure that public order and safety are not endangered."
At least five organizers of the Tbilisi street protests on October 4 were detained by authorities, including activists Paata Burchuladze and Murtaz Zodelava.
Before his detention, Burchuladze -- a famed, 70-year-old opera star -- urged Interior Ministry employees to heed the call of the people and arrest leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Late on October 5, the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) claimed it had discovered a large supply of guns, ammunition, and explosives in a hideout outside the capital.
The SSS alleged the arms were intended to be used for "subversive acts" on October 4, the day of local elections that were assailed by international groups as being held under an atmosphere of intimidation and suppression.
Much of the opposition boycotted the vote, in which Georgian Dream claimed to have won control in every municipality that was contested.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on October 5 condemned the election process, saying it came "amid a period of extensive crackdown on dissent."
"Months of raids on independent media, the passing of laws targeting civil society, the jailing of opponents and activists or amendments to the electoral code favoring the ruling party drastically reduced the possibility of having competitive elections."
"A large part of the opposition boycotted these elections, and the turnout was relatively low," Kallas said in a statement.
"We urge calm and restraint in the post-election period and call on the authorities to uphold citizens' rights to freedom of assembly and expression," Kallas and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said in a joint statement.
EU Accused Of Meddling
Kobakhidze accused the EU of meddling in Georgia's affairs and cited EU Ambassador Pawel Herczynski.
"You know that specific people from abroad have even expressed direct support for all this, for the announced attempt to overthrow the constitutional order," Kobakhidze was quoted by Georgian media 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," the prime minister added.
In their joint statement, Kallas and Kos said the EU "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 pro-Western protesters' aim was to revitalize daily demonstrations that began last year following alleged violations in parliamentary elections and a subsequent government decision to halt talks on joining the EU. The opposition also criticized what it saw as the government's growing Russia-friendly policies.
The protests have largely quieted down over recent months following earlier violent crackdowns.
Georgian Dream Drift Toward Russia
The Georgian Dream drift toward Russia, including imposition of Kremlin-style laws, has angered Georgia's former backers, the United States and the EU, leading to suspension of multiple joint initiatives.
The government has denied allegations of a crackdown on dissent and the media and has rejected claims of brutality against protesters.
Demonstrators have remained defiant, with organizers calling for continued protests. Crowds gathered on the evening of October 5, but there were no immediate reports of unrest.
Georgia's former president, Salome Zurabishvili, who has opposed the Georgian Dream party and previously led peaceful protests against its rule, said she opposed any violence and accused the government of "staging" an attack on the presidential palace on October 4 to discredit the opposition.
"I’m on Rustaveli Avenue on the 310th day of peaceful protest for Georgia’s European future. The regime’s staged 'takeover' of the Presidential Palace is a provocation. We won’t fall for it -- we stand for free and fair elections and a European Georgia," she wrote on X late on October 4.
On October 5, she repeated calls for supporters to maintain pressure on the government.
"There will come a day of elections, a real fair parliamentary election, where we will indeed make a choice...I call on everyone to come out together and continue as long as it is necessary and until the end of this peaceful protest," Zurabishvili said.
