Georgia arrests ex-president Saakashvili after return from exile

Arrest comes after Saakashvili returned from eight years in exile and a day before a key municipal elections in Georgia.

Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested after his return to the country following eight years in exile, according to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili

The announcement came on Friday 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.