Georgian police arrest opposition leader
AFP, TBILISI
Georgian police yesterday arrested a top opposition leader and used tear gas in a violent raid on his party headquarters, further deepening a political crisis sparked by last year’s disputed parliamentary elections.
Live television footage showed Nika Melia, the leader of the United National Movement (UNM), the country’s main opposition party, being dragged from party headquarters to be placed in pre-trial detention.
Meanwhile, hundreds of riot police used tear gas against his supporters and the leaders of all of the country’s opposition parties, who have been camped out in the building since Wednesday last week, the live pictures on Mtavari TV showed. Scores of opposition supporters were detained.