Georgian Police Arrest Opposition Leaders During Pro-EU Protests

Thousands demand new elections and EU alignment as tensions escalate following disputed parliamentary results.

Georgian police detained two opposition leaders, Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulawa, during a protest blocking a highway in Tbilisi on Sunday.
The protests, involving thousands, reignited after weeks of relative calm, with demonstrators demanding new parliamentary elections and adherence to the country's pro-EU constitutional commitments.
The opposition accuses the ruling Georgian Dream party of election fraud and claims the government is steering Georgia closer to Russia and away from the EU.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the government's response to the protests, calling it a 'brutal crackdown' and expressing support for the demonstrators' push for democracy.
The Georgian Interior Ministry had warned that blocking highways was a criminal offense, punishable by up to four years in prison, and deployed significant police presence at the protest site.