In a sign of a widening crackdown, security agents have searched the offices and homes of prominent activists and opposition leaders who fear the country is turning closer to Russia.

By Ailis Halligan in Tbilisi Nika Gvaramia, co-chair of the Ahali party and one of the leaders of the Georgian pro-Western opposition bloc Coalition for Change (C4C), was violently detained outside his party’s offices in Tbilisi around 5pm on December 4.

The atmosphere in Georgia is becoming increasingly tense. On Wednesday, just before another demonstration scheduled for the evening, the police searched the offices of opposition parties. Several people were detained,