On 23 February, the chairman of the Georgian opposition party United National Movement, Nikanor Melia, was arrested at his party office. Before the arrest, the law enforcement sprayed pepper spray into the room. 

“The law enforcers warned the citizens gathered in front and inside the office of the United National Movement on Kakheti Highway, Tbilisi, not to obstruct the representatives of the police in the execution of the court decision and gave them reasonable time. Despite numerous warnings from the… ministry on the spot, the gathered demonstrators at the party office did not obey the lawful request of the police and offered resistance to the law enforcement officers. Thus, the police applied coercive measures and special means provided by law to enforce their official duties entrusted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs by the court,” stated Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

Georgia’s police used a fire engine to climb in through an upper window of the building at around 8:00 in the morning. 21 people, including politician Giorgi Baramidze, were detained during the raid on the UNM office. Later, Baramidze and other detainees were released from custody. Baramidze said that he fainted during the special operation and the ambulance brigade provided first aid, after which he found himself in a police car. Some UNM supporters met officers with hands held high and chanting Georgia’s national anthem. The UNM leadership had instructed them at night not to attack police if they entered the building or risk being labelled ‘provocateurs of violence’ sent by the authorities.

The opposition parties in the country announced mass protests following Melia’s arrest. “The office was raided, servers were taken away, archives were destroyed. People were poisoned in the building, several people fainted, and we were not able to call an ambulance. We are going to express our protest in front of the governmental chancellery today,” said one of the UNM leaders Khatia Dekanoidze. “I want to promise everyone that Nika Melia and our homeland will be free very soon,” she addressed opposition supporters. “Today is the 23 February, the Day of the Soviet Army, and (former Georgian Dream chairman) Bidzina Ivanishvili ordered to disperse the civilians. We woke up in Soviet Georgia. This is schizophrenia,” said Gigi Ugulava, spokesman for the European Georgia opposition party.

Georgia’s Ombudsperson Nina Lomjaria and several NGOs also condemned the operation. Lomjaria posted on her Facebook page that the arrest was ‘shameful’ and that it will “cause Georgia’s alienation from the West.”  “We condemn this decision by the Georgian government that will further aggravate the current political crisis in the country. We believe that the Georgian authorities could have defused the situation by legal and non-violent means. Regrettably, the authorities did not wait for the consideration of Melia’s appeal in the Court of Appeals and did not demonstrate the will to defuse the difficult situation and conduct the political process in a calm environment. The political process has gradually deteriorated since the parliamentary elections. It has currently reached a complete impasse. The Georgian government has not demonstrated a real will to defuse the situation at any stage of the deterioration of the crisis. Through this latest step, it has moved toward further escalation of tension, which could have ruinous consequences for the country. Obviously, the ruling party bears full responsibility for the possible future deterioration of the situation,” read the joint statement of several Georgian NGOs.  

On the other side of things, the ruling Georgian Dream party praised the operation. Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili thanked the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, for carrying out the operation. “Regarding general practice and the methods used, this is the highest standard of absolutely civilised, democratic countries. Today, our heroic police showed the highest standard, that is the same as European, American standards,” Garibashvili stated. He stressed that all citizens, regardless of their status or political affiliation, are obliged to obey the law. “We will protect the right of all citizens to express their opinion within the constitutional framework. This is how we understand the rule of law and the basic principles of democracy, but of course with the reservation that everything must be within the framework of the Constitution and the law,” he added.

The country’s MIA and the GD also reported ongoing cyber-attacks on their websites, with party chairperson Mamuka Mdinaradze telling local media the "massed" digital operation was aimed at "destabilising" the political situation in the country. Mdinaradze said in comments to the press that "all party websites" and interior ministry pages were under attack. These assaults prevented uploading of news material and releases but expressing confidence professionals would "soon solve the issue.” He also underscored that the government would withstand any "additional destructive measures" undertaken against it.

The international community also reacted to Melia’s arrest, expressing concerns that the boiling point in Georgia had been reached. “We regret that the call of the United States and other international partners for restraint and dialogue was ignored. We are dismayed by the polarizing rhetoric from Georgia’s leadership at a time of crisis. Force and aggression are not the solution to resolving Georgia’s political differences. Today, Georgia has moved backward on its path toward becoming a stronger democracy in the Euro-Atlantic family of nations,” read the statement of the US embassy in Georgia.   

“The political crisis is deepening. All sides need to demonstrate responsibility and have the best interest of the country and the Georgian people at heart. Efforts to find common ground must not be abandoned,” stated EU’s Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell. 

“We are watching events in Georgia closely. The detention of the head of a major opposition party is of deep concern. NATO expects Georgia, as a close partner and Aspirant, to maintain the Euro-Atlantic democratic standards which it has worked so hard to meet and maintain. This includes resolving political differences through dialogue and avoiding polarising rhetoric and actions,” said the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia James Appathurai.