Georgia pleads with Europe to give ‘clear moral support’ as protests continue

Days after Russia warned Georgia not to take ‘Ukrainian path’ as protests rage across the country, the president has pleaded with the West for help.

Another 224 protesters were detained today as of thousands of demonstrators gather in cities across the country to protest the government’s decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.

Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili told Reuters there was a ‘strong need’ for ‘very clear moral and political support’ from Europe as protestors take to the street for a fifth night.

She also said she wants European countries to send a ‘clear message’ that they wouldn’t recognise the October election results.

The ruling Georgian Dream party’s victory in an October 26 parliamentary election is widely believed to have been influenced by Russia – as Moscow hopes to keep Tbilisi in its orbit.

Worries of increasing Russian influence in Georgia prompted the US to suspend its strategic partnership with Georgia.

The Georgian President previously said of alleged Russian interference in the election: ‘The methodology used and the support of most probably Russian FSB (Federal Security Service) types is shown in this election.’

But the thousands of people on the streets in Georgia are adamant that they do not want to be aligned with Russia, even after the October elections.

Earlier this week, Russia said they were ‘following developments’, with former Russian president and Kremlin mouthpiece Dmitry Medvedev writing on Telegram that an ‘attempted revolution’ was taking place.

He wrote: ‘Georgia is moving rapidly along the Ukrainian path, into the dark abyss. Usually this sort of thing ends very badly.’

His message appears to reference the parallels seen with the Georgian protests and the 2014 Ukrainian Maidan.

Days ago, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze issued warnings to protestors and claimed it is not true that Georgia’s European integration has been halted.

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