Formerly Soviet Georgia remains well within Russia’s orbit, with pro-Russian forces a powerful presence there.
When the new wave of protests started on the night of Nov. 29, more than 100 people were arrested after injury of 42 ministry “employees” who participated in law enforcement, the interior ministry previously reported.
The BBC estimated more than 300 people had been arrested — ahead of the Friday detentions — since the renewed protests that have running for more than a week.
Ukraine, Latvia and Lithuania are among countries sanctioning Georgian officials for the ruling party’s violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
