Tbilisi: The Georgian government has charged five prominent protest leaders with plotting to overthrow the government following violent demonstrations in Tbilisi, as authorities vowed to make additional arrests in what they describe as an attempted coup.

The charges, announced by the Prosecutor General’s Office on Monday, come two days after large-scale protests erupted in the capital during local elections, which opposition parties had boycotted. Demonstrators gathered in Freedom Square and along Rustaveli Avenue, waving Georgian and European Union flags, before a group attempted to approach the presidential palace.

Riot police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd, leaving at least 27 people injured, including security officers and protesters.

Those charged include o

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