Georgia arrests second opposition figure in days as ruling party faces more protests

By Euronews Georgia

Published on 30/05/2025 - 20:58 GMT+2

Police successful Georgia person detained a 2nd guidance leader wrong days arsenic protests against nan ruling Georgian Dream statement and its perceived Russia-friendly stance proceed successful nan South Caucasus country.

Lawyers for Nika Melia, 1 of nan figureheads for Georgia's pro-Western Coalition for Change, said his car was stopped by constabulary connected Thursday.

Soon after, he was bundled distant by a ample group of group successful civilian clothing.

According to nan interior ministry, Melia has been detained connected charges of verbally insulting a rule enforcement officer.

A tribunal placed Melia successful pre-trial detention but nan magnitude of that play of imprisonment has not been made clear.

The arrest comes a week aft that of Zurab Japaridze, different leader of nan pro-Western, wide conjugation of parties that support European Union integration and want a restoration of antiauthoritarian norms.

Japaridze, who heads nan New Political Centre (Girchi) party, was detained connected 22 May aft refusing to look earlier a parliamentary committee investigating alleged wrongdoings by nan authorities of former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Opposition politicians person declined to be nan committee hearings, saying they are politically motivated by Georgian Dream to harm nan opposition, peculiarly Saakashvili’s United National Movement party.

Melia, of nan Ahali statement and erstwhile president of Saakashvili’s United National Movement party, was detained connected nan eve of a scheduled tribunal proceeding for failing to testify.

Japaridze and 7 different guidance politicians who did not be nan committee are expected to look earlier a tribunal successful coming days.

If recovered blameworthy of failing to comply pinch a parliamentary investigative commission, they look up to a twelvemonth successful prison.

Meanwhile, demonstrators person continued to stitchery successful nan superior Tbilisi, demanding caller elections and nan merchandise of dissidents.

Nightly protests began connected 28 November, erstwhile Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted nan country’s EU integration process.

Georgia has seen wide governmental unrest since nan country’s past parliamentary predetermination successful October, which was won by Georgian Dream.

Protestors and nan country’s guidance declared nan consequence arsenic illegitimate amid allegations of vote-rigging helped by Russia, sparking weeks of protests crossed nan country.

At nan time, guidance leaders vowed to boycott sessions of parliament until a caller parliamentary predetermination was held nether world supervision and alleged ballot irregularities were investigated.

Georgian Dream has seen widespread condemnation by European leaders and world authorities groups complete its unsmooth handling of protestors and perceived antiauthoritarian backsliding.