The black paint thrown by Mr Kirtadze was meant to symbolize the black dots that opposition groups say were seen on the back of the ballots, compromising their secrecy.

Georgian Dream, in power since 2012, has moved away from a previous pro-EU stance over the past 12 months.

Implemented a “foreign agents” law. which critics have described as mirroring the Kremlin’s crackdown on civil rights organizations in Russia.

Processes rejected

On Friday, a court in Tbilisi, the country’s capital, dismissed 11 lawsuits challenging the outcome, saying they were “baseless.”

The country’s pro-Western president, Salome Zurabishvili, rejected the result and accused Russia of interference, a charge Moscow denied.

european union and the United States called for an investigation into alleged electoral “irregularities” but stopped short of rejecting the results outright.