Police in Georgia detained 16 people in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday after clashing with protesters opposing the results of last month's parliamentary election, which the opposition and the pro-Western president say were rigged.
Police in Georgia detained 16 people in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday after clashing with protesters opposing the results of last month's parliamentary election, which the opposition and the pro-Western president say were rigged.
Video showed police throwing some protesters to the ground and dragging them along the pavement. Some officers fired pepper spray at close range.
Georgia's Interpress news agency said 16 people had been detained and three had already been released.
Demonstrators in the South Caucasus country have rallied several times since the Oct. 26 election, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party clinched a fourth term in power.
Leaders of three of the four opposition parties that won seats have called for daily protests to prevent the new session of parliament from opening later in November.
Georgian Dream's opponents cast the party as pro-Russian and say its continued rule will torpedo the former Soviet republic's chances of joining the European Union.
A few hundred protesters erected tents and occupied a main avenue in Tbilisi for two nights in a row until they were dispersed on Tuesday morning.
In a statement, the interior ministry said protesters had illegally blocked traffic and urged them to leave the area. It did not mention any arrests.
Coalition for Change, one of the four opposition groups, said several of its members had been arrested and some suffered injuries. A cameraman for Mtavari Arkhi, an opposition television channel, was also detained, the outlet said.
The election commission on Saturday officially confirmed Georgian Dream's victory with 54% of the vote, although two U.S. pollsters commissioned by the opposition have said the result is statistically impossible.
President Salome Zourabichvili, a staunch Georgian Dream critic whose powers are mostly ceremonial, filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court against the results, Interpress reported on Tuesday.
Widely seen as pivotal for the country of some 3.7 million people, the election offered a choice between further European integration under the pro-Western opposition, or closer ties with Moscow under a governing party that critics say is increasingly authoritarian.
Observer groups, including the 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, have said violations such as ballot-stuffing, voter intimidation and bribery could have swayed the election, but stopped short of saying it was outright stolen. Russia has vigorously denied any interference.
Thousands rallied in Bucharest, Romania, demanding the reinstatement of canceled elections after claims of Russian interference, as tensions rise over democracy and trust in state institutions.
Central Warsaw turned into a protest venue, as protesters demonstrated against European Union's trade policies. Demonstrators accuse the bloc of pursuing trade strategies that would harm the interests and needs of Polish farmers.
Tensions flared in Tirana on Monday, December 23 as opposition leader Sali Berisha led a protest calling for a caretaker government ahead of Albania’s May 2024 elections, with clashes between demonstrators and police.
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Hundreds of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on December 21, 2024, to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, calling for its resignation amid growing dissatisfaction over the ongoing corruption trial, controversial policies, and the handling of the Gaza conflict.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Briefing: here are the top news stories for January 18th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus co-chairs honour the 35th anniversary of January 20, reflecting on its impact as a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's fight for independence.
Thousands in Belgrade held a silent protest outside RTS, honouring victims of a roof collapse. University students demanded justice for the tragedy, blaming Serbian authorities.
South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court to contest his detention extension on insurrection charges tied to his martial law declaration.
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