Thousands of defiant pro-EU protesters in Georgia staged a fresh rally Friday after the prime minister claimed victory in a "battle" against the opposition, amid a deepening post-electoral crisis.

Tbilisi has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election.

The party's critics have accused it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia.

Tens of thousands have taken to the streets since the election to protest against alleged electoral fraud.

Fresh rallies took place across the country after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced last week that Georgia would not hold talks on European Union membership until 2028.

Police have fired tear gas and water cannon against pro-EU protests in Tbilisi and hundreds of arrests have been made, triggering outrage at home and mounting international condemnation.

France, Germany and Poland condemned what they called the government's "disproportionate" use of force against protesters and opposition leaders in a joint statement by their foreign ministers Friday.

Several thousand people blocked the street outside parliament for a ninth consecutive night Friday, some blowing whistles and others setting off firecrackers.

The crowd was smaller than on previous nights and the mood quieter, but protesters rejected........

© International Business Times