Georgian President, PM and Foreign Ministry have released separate statements condemning “horrible” and “barbaric act of terrorism” in Paris on January 7, when 12 people were killed in an attack on office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

“This horrible act was directed not only against the French people, but also against each of us. There is no justification for terrorism. Freedom of speech and media is the supreme value, which should be always and everywhere appropriately protected,” PM Irakli Garibashvili said in a written statement.

“On behalf of the Georgian people, I express sincere sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims. We are standing alongside with the French people in this difficult time,” the PM said.

“Georgia condemns any form of terrorism and continues struggle against this one of the greatest threats of our time,” President Giorgi Margvelashvili said in a statement.

“In this difficult time we express our strong solidarity with the French authorities and the French people. We stand by you to defend our common welfare,” the President said.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry said: “This barbaric act, which was directed against freedom of speech and media, shows once again seriousness of threat originating from radical ideologies and the importance of consolidating efforts of the international community to fight against terrorism as one of the main global challenges.”

Opposition party, United National Movement, also released a statement condemning the attack and saying that freedom of speech will not be defeated by “the plague of our time – religious fanaticism.”