Zourabichvili Files Complaint After Egg Attack at Tbilisi Airport
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Salome Zourabichvili, the 5th President of Georgia, has filed a complaint and called for an investigation after she was pelted with eggs upon her arrival at Tbilisi International Airport. Speaking at a press briefing, Zourabichvili condemned the act, describing it as a "pre-organized" act of violence and referring to it as "the little spite of little men." She also criticized members of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party for justifying the attack.
Zourabichvili emphasized that the incident reflected a lack of respect for the state. "This means that the state is not being respected," she stated, adding that in this situation, she had become a symbol of what the Georgian Dream party is fighting against - "the Georgian state, Georgian traditions, Georgian courtesy. the image of Georgia in the world."
She labeled the attack as an act of weakness by the Georgian Dream party. "All they can do is take repressive measures and throw eggs. If that's not a sign of weakness, I don't know what is," Zourabichvili said. She also expressed criticism of the government's leadership, stating, "They can't govern Georgia anymore. They don't know how to govern the country anymore."
Zourabichvili raised concerns about the broader implications of the attack, particularly regarding the state's failure to ensure security and order. She pointed out that such incidents, including an earlier attack on former GD Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, were occurring in central locations like the airport, questioning how authorities allowed politically motivated violence to take place in such a public space.
She also mentioned that she had received threats on social media prior to the attack and stated that the police should have been aware of the situation and taken preventative action. "They did not do that," she noted.
Underlining the importance of security for all citizens, Zourabichvili concluded, "A functioning state provides security for everyone, even those with different political views. The state is when order is maintained, when security is maintained for everyone, even for those people you don't like because of their political views. That is the state, and they are making us lose the state day by day."
She also expressed her gratitude to Georgian society and international partners for their support following the incident.
