Leader of the radical opposition Labor Party Shalva Natelashvili condemned the “mass arrests” of activists from parties and organizations affiliated with wanted ex-security chief Igor Giorgadze’s Justice Party.

Natelashvili said that the Georgian authorities are attempting “to destroy the multi-party system” in the country.

Speaking at a news conference on September 8 Natelashvili said that the Saakashvili’s regime, which was brought into power “with the help of the U.S. and Russian special services,” has now “an illusion that it can be overthrown in the same way [as ex-President Shevardnadze’s administration].”

Currently 13 persons, including key figures from organizations affiliated with Giorgadze’s, are detained on charges of plotting a coup.
 
“We categorically protest against the mass arrests and think that these people [arrested on September 6] are political prisoners of the current regime. We demand that Washington and Brussels answer to what kind of democracy is currently being built in Georgia. We also demand from the American and Russian special services to publish the financial documentation about the allocation of funds to Mikheil Saakashvili and his party in these years. We also demand the immediate release of illegal political prisoners,” Natelashvili said.

He also said that “Saakashvili and his dirty gang is financed by two financial-political centers: Washington and Moscow.”

“Everything is clear with Washington, where there is [George] Soros and his team. As for Moscow, several billionaires gave finances to Saakashvili. I mean [State Minister for Economic Reforms] Kakha Bendukidze, who is a Russian billionaire; [Moscow-based sculpture] Mr. Zurab Tsereteli and [tycoon] Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili,” the Labor Party leader said.