The leader of Georgia’s opposition Civic Party, Alexander Elisashvili, was arrested today on suspicion of trying to set fire to the Tbilisi City Court building, the country’s Interior Ministry said.
The ministry’s statement on Facebook said that Elisashvili broke a window with a hammer early in the morning, entered the building of the court office in Tbilisi, and then poured gasoline around the office. the media reports.
The ministry adds that Elisashvili was armed and attacked a court official during his detention.
The Civic Party, which belongs to the Lelo-Strong Georgia coalition, is one of the three main opposition groups in the country, which the authorities are putting under increasing pressure.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has applied to the Constitutional Court to ban the three main opposition groups, while several opposition politicians are already in detention, exile or facing criminal charges suspected to be politically motivated.
Elisashvili was arrested a day after a protest held in Tbilisi to mark the one-year anniversary of protests against the government’s decision to end negotiations for membership in the European Union (EU).
The Georgian Dream party has tried to curb the movement by tightening rules on public gatherings, as well as passing a series of laws targeting human rights groups, NGOs and independent media.
