Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation's National Security Council, has responded to Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili's refusal to resign from office after her term expires,

Georgia, which has been criticized for using "excessive force" to crack down on anti-government protests, has become increasingly authoritarian, according to Western governments.

Georgia, a country of 3.8 million people at the intersection of Europe and Asia, has been plunged into crisis since the governing Georgian Dream party said on Thursday it was halt

The country has seen months of tension between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opponents who accuse it of pursuing authoritarian, anti-Western and pro-Russian policies.