Georgia PM Says ’Won Battle’ with Pro-EU Protesters as Crisis Deepens

Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday claimed victory in a "battle" against the pro-Western opposition, even as a crisis fuelled by his suspension of EU talks showed no signs of easing.

Tbilisi has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party -- accused by critics of creeping authoritarianism and steering the country back towards Russia -- declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets to protest against alleged electoral fraud and Kobakhidze's shock announcement last week that Georgia would not seek European Union membership talks until 2028.

Police have deployed tear gas and water cannon against pro-EU protests in  Tbilisi and hundreds of arrests have been made.

But with fewer protests over the last two nights, and no clashes on Thursday, Kobakhidze hailed his security forces for "successfully neutralising the protesters' capacity for violence".

"We have won an important battle against liberal fascism in our country," he told a news conference, using language reminiscent of how the Kremlin in Russia targets its political opponents. 

"But the fight is not over. Liberal fascism in Georgia must be defeated entirely, and work towards this goal will continue," Kobakhidze said. 

He repeated an earlier threat to "complete the process of neutralising the radical opposition."

- Expected escalation -

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With a ninth straight night of protests expected Friday and both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis.

The leader of opposition Lelo party, Mamuka Khazaradze, said the ruling party "no longer has the strength or resources to stand against the people."

The government "has resorted to arresting young activists and political opponents out of fear of relentless public protests and growing civil disobedience by public servants," he told AFP.

"Victory is within reach, and the regime is already beginning to crumble."

The interior ministry announced fresh arrests Friday, saying police had detained three individuals for "participating in group violence," punishable by up to nine years jail.

Masked police have raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders earlier this week, while around 300 people have been detained at rallies.

On Friday, the leader of opposition Akhali party, Nika Gvaramia, was sentenced to 12 days in prison while Alexandre Elisashvili, leader of the Strong Georgia opposition group, was remanded in custody for two months of pretrial detention.

More trouble is after December 14, when Georgian Dream lawmakers are to elect a loyalist to succeed pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili, who is at loggerheads with the ruling party.

Zurabishvili has declared Georgia's new parliament and government "illegitimate" and called for a re-run of the election.

While some pro-EU protestors are worried that the movement might be losing steam, most rallying on Thursday night remained upbeat.

Thousands have also staged anti-government rallies in the second city of Batumi on the Black Sea coast. And local media has reported protests across the country, including in the western cities of Zugdidi and Kutaisi.

- 'Torture' allegations -

Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Tbilisi's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population.

Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the suspension of EU talks.

Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights.

Brussels warned such policies were incompatible with EU membership, while domestic critics accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook.

The United States is among the Western countries to have denounced the crackdown on protests, with Washington threatening additional sanctions against the country's leaders.

Rights ombudsman Levan Ioseliani this week accused the police of "torture" against those arrested.

He said 191 detained protesters had reported mistreatment in custody, with 138 showing visible injuries.

Following Kobakhidze's hardline rhetoric against the opposition, police have also targeted Georgian Dream's political rivals, raiding party offices and arresting leaders.

In a fresh warning, the prime minister on Friday said the police's "ability to respond to revolutionary attempts remains inexhaustible".