In Georgia, pro-European demonstrations before the inauguration of the new president

Several thousand pro-European demonstrators gathered today in Tbilisi for a protest against the government, ahead of the inauguration of the new president of this Caucasian country, whose appointment is disputed by the opposition.

Protesters formed a human chain along the river in central Tbilisi, some wrapped in Georgian and EU flags. Others held up a banner calling for the "release of political prisoners", Agence France-Presse reported from the scene.

Demonstrators demanded the release of those detained during previous demonstrations and the holding of new parliamentary elections.

"Everyone must understand that the protests will not stop until all demands are met," one student at the protest told AFP.

Georgia has been hit by a political crisis since October's parliamentary elections, which were won by the ruling Georgian Dream party, but the pro-Western opposition contested the results due to election irregularities.

The authorities' decision to delay efforts to join the European Union (EU) until 2028 sparked a series of pro-European protests, some of which were broken up by police.

The country is preparing for tomorrow's inauguration of a new president devoted to the Georgian Dream, Mihail Kavelashvili, known for his ultra-conservative and anti-Western positions.

Although the powers of the presidency are limited in Georgia, the inauguration is likely to spark a new mobilization of supporters of joining the EU, especially since outgoing President Salome Zourabishvili has previously said she refuses to resign without holding new parliamentary elections.

Salome Zurabishvili, a former French diplomat, has severed ties with the government and claims to be the only legitimate representative of the government.

She supported the protesters and joined the human chain in Tbilisi today, Georgian television reported.

Georgian Dream, which its opponents accuse of authoritarianism, denies any fraud in the parliamentary elections and accuses the opposition of wanting to provoke a revolution it says is financed from abroad.