Georgian Parliament Speaker on October 4 coup attempt case: Brussels, its ambassadors should say whether they condemn this violence or dismiss it as another street scuffle

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said it was important that several defendants in the October 4 coup attempt case had admitted their guilt, accusing them of previously seeking to downplay their actions.

“It is important that these perpetrators have acknowledged their crime. They tried to diminish the violence, at times calling it a ‘fence incident’ and using other labels”, Papuashvili said.

In his remarks, the Speaker noted that the defendants admitted both to committing violence and to seeking to seize control of the Presidential Palace.

“We should once again ask Brussels and its ambassadors whether they intend to condemn this incident or portray it as yet another scuffle that supposedly happened by chance on the streets on October 4. We now have direct admissions from the perpetrators themselves that they committed violence and that their objective was to take control of the presidential palace”, he said.

“The state will assess the gravity of the charges and make appropriate decisions where there is remorse and admission of guilt. This may involve a plea agreement, a suspended sentence, or imprisonment. As always, it depends on the seriousness of the offence. In this particular case, the Prosecutor’s Office is pursuing plea agreements under which the perpetrators acknowledge both the violence and their intention to seize the presidential palace, while the prosecution offers a plea deal in return”, Papuashvili continued.

The Speaker argued that the defendants had been encouraged toward criminal actions by Brussels, opposition politician Levan Khabeishvili and like-minded political figures.

He further claimed that the European Commission had expressed support for the October 4 violence.

Seven of the twelve defendants detained in connection with the October 4 case have requested plea agreements with the Prosecutor’s Office.

On October 4, 2025, large-scale protests in Tbilisi escalated into a dramatic confrontation, as a group of radical demonstrators tried to storm the presidential palace. The unrest occurred on the same day Georgia held municipal elections.

Authorities detained five opposition figures, including Paata Burchuladze. They are now facing charges of plotting to overthrow the Government - a potential offence that could carry lengthy prison sentences.

Government officials described the events as a failed coup attempt orchestrated with foreign backing. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze called the protests “an attempted overthrow of the constitutional order”.