Georgia detains second opposition chief inside days as ruling occasion faces extra protests | EUROtoday

Georgian police on Friday detained a second opposition chief inside days as protests proceed within the South Caucasus nation towards the ruling Georgian Dream occasion.

Lawyers for Nika Melia, one of many figureheads for Georgia’s pro-Western Coalition for Change, mentioned his automotive was stopped by police on Thursday. Soon after, he was bundled away by a big group of individuals in civilian clothes.

According to Georgia’s inside ministry, Melia has been detained on costs of verbally insulting a legislation enforcement officer.

The arrest got here every week after that of Zurab Japaridze, one other chief of the pro-Western, liberal coalition of events that assist European Union integration and desire a restoration of democratic requirements.

Japaridze, who heads the Girchi – More Freedom occasion, was detained on May 22 after refusing to look earlier than a parliamentary fee investigating alleged wrongdoings by the federal government of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Opposition politicians have declined to attend the fee hearings, saying they’re politically motivated by Georgian Dream to wreck the opposition, notably Saakashvili’s United National Movement occasion.

Melia, of the Ahali occasion and former chairman of Saakashvili’s United National Movement occasion, was detained on the eve of a scheduled courtroom listening to for failing to testify.

Japaridze and 7 different opposition politicians, not together with Melia, who didn’t attend the fee are anticipated to look earlier than a courtroom in coming days. If discovered responsible of failing to adjust to a parliamentary investigative fee, they resist a yr in jail.

Meanwhile, demonstrators have continued to collect within the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, demanding new elections and the discharge of dissidents. Nightly protests there started on Nov. 28, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze halted the nation’s EU integration course of.

Georgia has seen widespread political unrest for the reason that nation’s final parliamentary election on Oct. 26, which was gained by Georgian Dream. Protestors and the nation’s opposition declared the outcome as illegitimate amid allegations of vote-rigging helped by Russia, sparking weeks of protests throughout the nation.

At the time, opposition leaders vowed to boycott classes of parliament till a brand new parliamentary election was held underneath worldwide supervision and alleged poll irregularities have been investigated.

Georgian Dream has seen widespread condemnation by European leaders and worldwide rights teams over its tough dealing with of protestors and perceived democratic backsliding.