Ten members of opposition arrested in Georgia

Georgia’s Interior Ministry has reported that ten members of the opposition Democratic Movement-United Georgia party have been arrested on charges of purchasing automatic weapons. The party’s leader Nino Burjanadze says the charges are false and are part of a “campaign of terror” against the opposition.

Mr Burjandadze is a former ally of President Mikheil Saakashvili. There has been growing pressure on the president to step down following Georgia’s defeat in a five-day war against Russia in August 2008. The opposition is planning a series of protests starting on 9 April.