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Police in Georgia arrest opposition leader as mass protests continue

2024-12-04 22:12:22, Kosova & Bota CNA

Georgian police raided the offices of an opposition party on Wednesday and arrested its leader. The government is continuing efforts to quell mass protests caused by the ruling party's decision to suspend negotiations for membership in the European Union.

Over the past six nights, special police units have used tear gas to disperse demonstrators, who have thrown pyrotechnic devices at police forces and set up barricades on the capital's central boulevard. Over 300 protesters have been arrested since Thursday and over 100 people have been treated for injuries.

Georgian media reported that police also raided the offices of several other opposition groups and non-governmental organizations.

The ruling Georgian Dream party won a majority in parliament in the disputed October 26 election, which was widely seen as a referendum on Georgia's aspirations to join the European bloc. The opposition and the pro-Western president have accused the ruling party of rigging the vote with the help of neighboring Russia and have boycotted parliament sessions.

Opposition protests that began after the election gained new momentum after the government's decision on Thursday to suspend EU accession talks.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili refused to recognize the official result of the election and contested it at the Constitutional Court, which rejected her appeal on Tuesday. President Zourabichvili has stated that she will remain in office even after the end of her six-year term at the end of December, to help the opposition's efforts for new parliamentary elections.

The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on the condition that it fulfills the bloc's recommendations. The European Union suspended the negotiation process and reduced financial support in June after passing a law that was widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms. The law requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to be registered as organizations "pursuing the interest of a foreign power," similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.

The Georgian government's announcement of the suspension of EU accession talks came hours after the European Parliament passed a resolution criticizing the October elections as neither free nor fair.

On Monday, the European Union reiterated its "serious concerns about the continued decline of the country's democratic values".

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the "Georgian Dream" party declared on Tuesday that the government is ready to reopen EU accession talks if the bloc puts an end to the "blackmail"./ VOA