Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili has been arrested on his return from exile, the BBC reports.
The pro-Western Mr Saakashvili led the Caucasus country from 2004 to 2013 but was later convicted in absentia on corruption charges, which he denies.
On Friday he posted a video on Facebook saying he was back in Georgia ahead of local elections on Saturday.
Hours later Georgia’s prime minister announced the former president was in custody.
Initially the government denied he had entered the country but then Irakli Gharibashvili announced: “I would like to inform the public that the third president of Georgia, the wanted Mikheil Saakashvili, has been arrested and sent to jail.”
In his video message on Friday, which Mr Saakashvili said was filmed in the Black Sea port city of Batumi, he reportedly said he had “risked my life and freedom to be back”.
