Opposition activists arrested in Georgia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgian police arrested 10 opposition activists on suspicion of illegally buying firearms, authorities said.



Opposition leaders, however, accused police of planting weapons at the homes of some of the activists so they could be arrested.



Former parliamentary Speaker Nino Burdzhanadze said Monday that police arrested 10 activists of her United Georgia party, including her husband's driver. She accused President Mikheil Saakashvili of "terrorizing" his opponents and said weapons were planted at the homes of at least two of the activists.



Burdzhanadze, a former Saakashvili supporter who will likely run in the 2013 presidential election, created the opposition party in late November.



The Interior Ministry said the arrests late Sunday followed weeks of surveillance. Police accused the suspects of illegally buying firearms. Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said Burdzhanadze had "politicized" the arrests, AP reports.