Riot police, tear gas and smoke grenades: this is what the streets of the capital of Georgia — a South Caucasus republic at the crossroads of Europe and Asia — look like on the sixth consecutive day of mass protests.

Georgia's rights ombudsman on Tuesday accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying for six consecutive days against the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis.

Police clashed with protesters in the Georgian capital Tbilisi early on Friday, after the country’s ruling party said the government would suspend talks on European Union accession and refuse budgetary grants until 2028.