Nika Gvaramia, 48, a leader from one of four opposition groups, was carried by his arms and legs by police from his party HQ in a side street next to parliament in the capital Tbilisi. Other leaders were later ambushed after they met at a hotel and decided to push for a general strike.

In a sign of a widening crackdown, security agents have searched the offices and homes of prominent activists and opposition leaders who fear the country is turning closer to Russia.

Vision released by the Coalition for Change party shows Nika Gvaramia being carried by the arms and legs by several men and thrown into a car.