Police in Georgia have detained Nika Melia, a prominent opposition figure, according to his party, for allegedly insulting law enforcement officers. Melia, a key member of the pro-European political alliance Coalition for Change, Georgia’s largest opposition group, is the second prominent politician to be detained recently. This move follows the detention of another Coalition for Change leader, Zurab Japaridze, who was placed in pre-trial detention for refusing to appear before a parliamentary inquiry investigating crimes allegedly committed under former President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently jailed. Other opposition figures have also been accused of similar offenses and have refused to participate in the hearings, questioning the legitimacy of the parliamentary inquiry.
This recent crackdown on opposition figures has raised concerns about the direction Georgia is heading. Initially seen as a beacon of democracy and pro-Western sentiment in the former Soviet Union, Georgia’s current ruling party, Georgian Dream, faces accusations of adopting authoritarian tactics reminiscent of Moscow’s, potentially steering the country towards Russia and away from its aspirations to join the European Union. Despite the government’s denial of these allegations, the prime minister’s decision last year to postpone EU accession talks and the introduction of controversial legislation regulating NGOs have reignited tensions and sparked ongoing protests. The situation has been further strained by Georgia’s strained relations with Russia, which includes no formal ties since Russia’s support of separatists in 2008.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/georgia-police-detain-top-opposition-leader/a-72728400?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
