UNM party leader brutally arrested in Georgia

Following yesterday’s forming of a new government, led by hardliner prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, the leader of the opposition Niki Melia was today brutally arrested at the headquarters of his party, UNM.

Seen as a hardliner and political apprentice of former prime minister and Russian businessman Benidzi Ivanishvili, Mr. Garibashvili stated in parliament – before the formal election of prime minister – that the UNM is a ”criminal organization”. He directly confronted his opponents with threats to further increase pressure on the opposition.

Garibashvili succeeded former prime minster Giorgi Gakharia, who surprisingly announced the government’s resignation after having opposed the politically motivated calls for the detention of the country’s opposition leader, Nika Melia. Now, with a new hardline government, the pressure and harassment of the country’s democratic opposition continues with brutal force.