Georgia: opposition leader arrested for attempting to set fire to courthouse

Milan, 29 Nov. (LaPresse/AP) – Georgian authorities have arrested the leader of an opposition party on charges of attempting to set fire to the building that houses the courthouse in the city of Tbilisi. Aleksandre Elisashvili broke into the court registry building in the Georgian capital at dawn today, smashing a window with a hammer, then poured petrol around the perimeter of the office. This was announced by the Home Office in a post on Facebook. The 47-year-old, founder of the Citizens party and former opposition MP, was in possession of a firearm and injured a court official during his arrest. The video released by the authorities appears to show a gun on the floor, a bottle of petrol, a lighter and broken glass. The Citizens party, which belongs to the Lelo-Strong Georgia coalition, is one of the country’s three main opposition groups.