The Georgian police detained the leaders of two opposition parties at anti-government protests. They are accused of rioting and physical assault. Demonstrations in the country continue for the eighth day in a row, in protest against the government’s decision to suspend accession negotiations with the EU. TASR informs according to a Reuters report.
The police detained the leader of the largest opposition party, the Coalition for Change, Niko Gvaramia, at the demonstration. He will spend 12 days in prison. He is accused of rioting and disobeying the police.
Alek Elišashvili from the Strong Georgia party was also detained on Wednesday and placed in pretrial detention for two months. The prosecutor accused him of attacking a politician of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The opposition politician rejects the accusation.
Both had to be hospitalized for police brutality. Gvaramia fell unconscious as a result of his injuries on Wednesday. The Coalition for Change published a video on the X social network of several men carrying him up the stairs by his arms and legs.
Local media reported that eight other opposition activists were also detained in recent days. They are accused of group violence. If convicted, they face up to nine years in prison. The police also raided the offices of opposition parties.
In protest against the interruption of accession negotiations with the EU several Georgian ambassadors and the deputy minister of foreign affairs have already given up their diplomatic posts. On Wednesday, a high-ranking official of the Ministry of the Interior, entrusted with the preparation of the response of the security forces to street protests, also resigned.
Protests in Georgia often compared to the pro-European revolution in Ukraine from 2014, which overthrew pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.
Political geographer Vincenc Kopeček stated in an interview for TASR that the attitude of the security forces will be decisive for the success of the Georgian protests. If they remain loyal to the regime and the demonstrations are suppressed, it is possible expect developments similar to Maidan in Ukraine.
