On Tuesday, February 23, Georgian police stormed the headquarters of the country’s main opposition party and arrested its leader, as was reported by the Washington Post.
The head of the United National Movement, Nika Melia was arrested during the police storming of the opposition’s office. The move by police came hours after parliament named a new prime minister, whose predecessor opposed arresting Melia because of concerns that it would escalate the country’s political crisis.
According to eyewitnesses at about 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23, the police surrounded the opposition's office building located on the Kakheti highway in Tbilisi. The representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that the court decision is being enforced before the storming of the building.
Even though the opposition supporters did not resist, the special forces used pepper gas during detentions. The detainees were taken out by the office. Nick Melia and several journalists locked themselves in one of the rooms on the third floor of the building, but eventually, they were also detained.
Melia faces charges of inciting violence during protests in 2019. He had been released on bail and ordered to wear an electronic bracelet. But the bail was raised by 40,000 lari ($12,000) in November after he removed the bracelet; he refused to pay the additional bail.
Georgian news reports say about 20 other people were arrested in the police action at the opposition headquarters. The international community condemned the storming of the office of Georgia's largest opposition party and the detention of its leader. In particular, British Ambassador to Georgia Mark Clayton, member of the Lithuanian Seimas, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Zhigimantas Pavileninis, American Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger expressed their concern about the incident on Twitter.