Tensions rise in Tbilisi: Opposition leaders arrested amid protests
The police detained over 20 participants of the demonstration in Tbilisi on Sunday, reported the Echo of the Caucasus portal. Among those detained is one of the opposition leaders. Thousands of demonstrators, demanding the announcement of new elections, blocked the road on the outskirts of the Georgian capital.
Among those arrested - as reported by the Echo of the Caucasus portal - Nika Melia, leader of the Opposition Coalition for Change, and former mayor of Tbilisi, Giorgi Ugulawa.
According to the portal, it is unclear whether the detentions were carried out in an administrative manner for not complying with police orders or based on the criminal code for blocking the road. The authorities have not yet issued an official statement on this matter.
Some of the demonstrators moved from in front of the shopping centre towards the centre of Tbilisi. Riots broke out during the protest. Echo of the Caucasus reported that during the detentions, the security forces used violence against the protesters and insulted the participants; there were casualties. At least one unconscious protest participant was taken away by an ambulance.
The EU's foreign affairs chief reacts
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, reacted to the events in Tbilisi. On her profile on the X platform, she declared that repression against protesters in Georgia is unacceptable.
"Georgia falls short of any expectation from a candidate country. The EU stands with the people of Georgia in their fight for freedom and democracy," she added.
Protests in Georgia have been ongoing since November. Their participants accuse the authorities of irregularities during the parliamentary elections on 26th October. Officially, the Georgian Dream party won the elections. One of the first decisions of the new government was to suspend negotiations on Georgia's accession to the EU until 2028.
