Politician arrested – tried to set fire to court

TT

Published 19.21

 

Demonstrations in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Archive photo. Photo: Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP/TT

Georgian opposition politician Aleksandr Elisashvili is accused of trying to set fire to a court in Tbilisi.

Early Saturday morning, Elisashvili is said to have entered the court building in the capital Tbilisi by breaking a window with a hammer. There, he is said to have poured gasoline and tried to set the building on fire, the Ministry of Internal Affairs writes on social media.

Elisashvili has been deprived of his liberty. He is said to have had a firearm and injured an official in connection with his arrest.

Georgian authorities have released a video from the scene showing a weapon, lighter, gasoline and broken glass. The AP news agency has not been able to verify the video.

The arrest comes a day after anti-regime protests took place in Tbilisi. The 47-year-old Elisashvili is one of the leaders of the opposition coalition Lelo. Several Georgian opposition leaders are accused of crimes and are in prison or living in exile. According to the opposition, the charges are politically motivated.