<p>In a dramatic arrest, Georgian police arrested the leader of the United National Movement — the main opposition party — from his party headquarters.</p>

<p>Nika Melia was seen being dragged from his party headquarters, on Tuesday, to be placed in pre-trial detention, as shown in Live television's footage.</p>

<p>This has led to further deepening of the already existing political crisis that had started specifically after last year's disputed parliamentary elections.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As the Court ruled to arrest <a href="https://twitter.com/NikaMelia5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikaMelia5</a>, Chair of <a href="https://twitter.com/UNMGeorgia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNMGeorgia</a> the footage shows Special Forces being mobilized while the Court hearing was still ongoing and before the decision was announced <a href="https://t.co/rg5K4iSPmI">pic.twitter.com/rg5K4iSPmI</a></p>
— UNM Georgia (ენმ) (@UNMGeorgia) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNMGeorgia/status/1362210046327848961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The local police also used tear gas on the supporters of the opposition and several leaders of various opposition parties who had been camping out in the building since Wednesday.</p>

<p>"Shocked by the scenes at UNM headquarters this morning," said Mark Clayton, the British ambassador. "Violence and chaos in Tbilisi are the last thing Georgia needs right now. I urge all sides to act with restraint, now and in the coming days."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/UNMGeorgia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UNMGeorgia</a> Chair <a href="https://twitter.com/NikaMelia5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NikaMelia5</a> has been arrested this morning in a police raid of the party HQ involving hundreds of patrol police and special forces. Pepper spray was used against the opposition leaders and supporters <a href="https://t.co/7XL0nzg4xq">pic.twitter.com/7XL0nzg4xq</a></p>
— UNM Georgia (ენმ) (@UNMGeorgia) <a href="https://twitter.com/UNMGeorgia/status/1364099145888378882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>This dramatic arrest and usage of tear gas have come a few days after Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned over ruling party Georgian Dream's plans to arrest Melia.</p>

<p>The opposition had called for snap parliamentary polls after the news of Gakharia's resignation from the position.</p>

<p>For now, Melia has dismissed all accusations of "organising mass violence" during the anti-government protests in 2019 as politically motivated.</p>


In a dramatic arrest, Georgian police arrested the leader of the United National Movement — the main opposition party — from his party headquarters. Nika Melia was seen being dragged from his party headquarters, on Tuesday, to be placed in pre-trial detention, as shown in Live television's footage.

In a dramatic arrest, Georgian police arrested the leader of the United National Movement — the main opposition party — from his party headquarters. Nika Melia was seen being dragged from his party headquarters, on Tuesday, to be placed in pre-trial detention, as shown in Live television's footage. This has led to further deepening of the already existing political crisis that had started specifically after last year's disputed parliamentary elections. As the Court ruled to arrest @NikaMelia5, Chair of @UNMGeorgia the footage shows Special Forces being mobilized while the Court hearing was still ongoing and before the decision was announced pic.twitter.com/rg5K4iSPmI — UNM Georgia (ენმ) (@UNMGeorgia) February 18, 2021 × The local police also used tear gas on the supporters of the opposition and several leaders of various opposition parties who had been camping out in the building since Wednesday. "Shocked by the scenes at UNM headquarters this morning," said Mark Clayton, the British ambassador. "Violence and chaos in Tbilisi are the last thing Georgia needs right now. I urge all sides to act with restraint, now and in the coming days." @UNMGeorgia Chair @NikaMelia5 has been arrested this morning in a police raid of the party HQ involving hundreds of patrol police and special forces. Pepper spray was used against the opposition leaders and supporters pic.twitter.com/7XL0nzg4xq — UNM Georgia (ენმ) (@UNMGeorgia) February 23, 2021 × This dramatic arrest and usage of tear gas have come a few days after Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia resigned over ruling party Georgian Dream's plans to arrest Melia. The opposition had called for snap parliamentary polls after the news of Gakharia's resignation from the position. For now, Melia has dismissed all accusations of "organising mass violence" during the anti-government protests in 2019 as politically motivated.

Georgian police arrest top opposition leader, Nika Melia, using force and tear gas

<p>Thousands of people rallied in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgian-protesters-slam-putinism-raise-pressure-on-oligarch-229847">Georgia</a> on Tuesday as prosecutors said they would arrest an opposition leader over mass anti-government protests that have rocked the Caucasus nation for almost a week.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgian-protesters-slam-putinism-raise-pressure-on-oligarch-229847">Tbilisi protests</a> erupted after a Russian lawmaker addressed parliament from the speaker's seat, a controversial move in a country where ties with Moscow remain strained after a brief war in 2008.</p>

<p>Since then the rallies, which erupted Thursday, have morphed into a broader movement against billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely believed to be calling the shots in the country as leader of the ruling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/georgians-angry-over-russian-lawmakers-visit-try-to-storm-parliament-229107">Georgian Dream party</a>.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, prosecutors said they had charged Nika Melia, an opposition MP and a leader of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party (UNM) with organising "mass violence" outside the parliament building.</p>

<p>The office of Georgia's Prosecutor General said in a statement that it has "appealed to parliament to strip Melia of a parliamentarian's immunity from prosecution and place him in pre-trial detention."</p>

<p>If found guilty, Melia could face up to nine years behind bars.</p>

<p>More than 20 opposition parties issued a statement denouncing Melia's announced arrest as "political persecution and start of repressions against the opposition."</p>

<p>On Tuesday evening, thousands of protesters gathered for the sixth consecutive day in front of Georgia's parliament building, demanding the resignation of the interior minister whom they accuse of using excessive force against the largely peaceful rally.</p>

<p>On Thursday, protesters briefly attempted to storm the parliament building but were pushed back by police and the rally continued peacefully until riot police used rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring scores of demonstrators.</p>

<p>Ivanishvili has accused opposition leaders of inciting protesters to storm parliament, a claim they have denied.</p>


Thousands of people rallied in Georgia on Tuesday as prosecutors said they would arrest an opposition leader over mass anti-government protests that have rocked the Caucasus nation for almost a week.

Thousands of people rallied in Georgia on Tuesday as prosecutors said they would arrest an opposition leader over mass anti-government protests that have rocked the Caucasus nation for almost a week. The Tbilisi protests erupted after a Russian lawmaker addressed parliament from the speaker's seat, a controversial move in a country where ties with Moscow remain strained after a brief war in 2008. Since then the rallies, which erupted Thursday, have morphed into a broader movement against billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely believed to be calling the shots in the country as leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party. On Tuesday, prosecutors said they had charged Nika Melia, an opposition MP and a leader of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement party (UNM) with organising "mass violence" outside the parliament building. The office of Georgia's Prosecutor General said in a statement that it has "appealed to parliament to strip Melia of a parliamentarian's immunity from prosecution and place him in pre-trial detention." If found guilty, Melia could face up to nine years behind bars. More than 20 opposition parties issued a statement denouncing Melia's announced arrest as "political persecution and start of repressions against the opposition." On Tuesday evening, thousands of protesters gathered for the sixth consecutive day in front of Georgia's parliament building, demanding the resignation of the interior minister whom they accuse of using excessive force against the largely peaceful rally. On Thursday, protesters briefly attempted to storm the parliament building but were pushed back by police and the rally continued peacefully until riot police used rubber bullets and tear gas, injuring scores of demonstrators. Ivanishvili has accused opposition leaders of inciting protesters to storm parliament, a claim they have denied.

Thousands rally in Georgia as opposition leader faces arrest

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Georgian police arrest top opposition leader, Nika Melia, using force and tear gas

Thousands rally in Georgia as opposition leader faces arrest