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Police arrest two opposition leaders amid protests in Georgia

Information

Georgian police arrested two opposition leaders, Nika Melia and former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, during a protest against the ruling Georgian Dream party. The protests erupted after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would not seek EU membership talks before 2028. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the crackdown on protesters, journalists, and politicians, expressing support for the Georgian people’s fight for freedom and democracy. Melia, who was later released on bail, reported being mistreated by police while in custody. Thousands of protesters gathered outside a shopping complex in Tbilisi, briefly blocking a major road, despite warnings from the Interior Ministry that such actions were criminal offenses.

The protests have been ongoing since November, with over 400 demonstrators arrested in the initial wave. The opposition has also been contesting the results of the October elections, which they claim were stolen by the Georgian Dream party. In December, Mikheil Kavelashvili was inaugurated as Georgia’s new president, a move deemed fraudulent by former President Salome Zourabichvili. Zourabichvili, once a loyalist of the Georgian Dream, has distanced herself from the party in recent years. Last year, Georgia saw widespread protests after the government passed a law increasing its ability to monitor NGOs and the media.

Source: DW, Guardian, Reuters

So what

It seems unlikely that the recent arrest of key figures within the opposition movement in Georgia will be the last. As protests continue to disrupt activities and draw significant negative attention to the Dream Party, the government may intensify its measures against prominent opposition leaders in an effort to quell the demonstrations. While it appears that the protests are unlikely to cease in the near future, we may see more arrests, potentially with increasing severity.

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