Georgia says its ex-president arrested after returning home

The prime minister of Georgia says former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested

Georgia Politics (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The prime minister of Georgia says former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested.

The announcement Friday by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili came about 18 hours after Saakashvili, who was convicted in absentia and has lived in Ukraine in recent years, posted on Facebook that he had returned to the country.

Saakashvili’s return came ahead of national municipal elections on Saturday that could be critical to Georgia’s political makeup.