A British man detained in Georgia, accused of breaking into the country’s parliament, is being used as a “propaganda” pawn by the pro-Russian Government, according to a Georgian opposition MP.
Daniel Travis’ arrest was announced by officials yesterday, as violent protests against the Government’s decision to suspend talks to join the European Union rage on.
Reacting to the 28-year-old Liverpudlian’s arrest, United National Movement MP Khatia Dekanoidze told the Express that “nobody was breaking into the parliament – this was propaganda.
“I am there, you know, all the time, every day and night, and believe me, nobody was breaking in.”
She said she didn’t “exclude” that Mr Travis isn’t being treated brutally in police custody because officers “are beating everybody” connected with the mass demonstrations.
“I mean, they are beating very severely all the youngsters [on] their heads, and journalists, and everybody, women, men, kids.”
On Monday, Mr Travis was broadcast on a pro-Government TV channel, as officials branded him a “foreign instructor” and accused him of coordinating violence aimed at bringing down the administration.
Mr Travis said in an interview: “I’m just passing [through]. I want to go home”.
Amid nightly clashes between pro-EU demonstrators and police, armed with water cannons and tear gas, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed that the state “may be dealing with foreign instructors who organise violent groups.”
An insider close to the ruling Georgian Dream party leadership told the Mail that Mr Travis was a “private army instructor”.
They claimed that he was “ex-military” and “specialised in sowing public dissent”.
Georgians have taken to the streets for five consecutive nights so far, angry at the Government’s decision to suspend European Union accession talks until 2028.
This follows October’s controversial parliamentary elections, won by the pro-Russia Georgia Dream party, which saw “vote buying and voter intimidation”, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Reports of the turnout during each night of demonstrations vary with claims between 100,000 and 200,000.
Ms Dekanoidze predicted that the demonstrations would not ease up: “People continue to come out, and we will be there defending the national interests of Georgia and the European Union, and integration, and our future, because once we stop fighting it means that we are in Russia.”
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: “We are in contact with the local authorities regarding the arrest of a British national in Tbilisi.”