Georgia's ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili arrested after returning home
Georgia's former president Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested on Friday hours after announcing he was back in the country, Euronews reported, adding his arrest was announced by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. Saakashvili, 53, had said in a video posted on Facebook earlier in the day: "I risked my life and freedom to return!"
The politician, who said he was in the Georgian coastal city of Batumi, called for protests as the country is due to hold local elections this weekend.
"We all need to understand that voting for The Dream party will be the signature of the death penalty for Georgia. That's why on October 2, we should all go to the elections to save Georgia. And on October 3, from the morning of October 3, let's move from the whole of Georgia to protect the results of the elections," Saakashvili said.