US Ambassador Degnan: it’s Melia’s personal decision whether or not to leave prison
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan was one of key mediators in the talks between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition. Photo: US Embassy press office.
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US Ambassador Kelly Degnan says that it is completely up to the United National Movement opposition party leader Nika Melia whether or not he leaves prison.
The arrest of the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia on February 2, 2021 for his refusal to pay bail for his charges related to the June 2019 protests further stoked tension between the government and the opposition which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
His release was one of the preconditions by the opposition, along with the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections and the release of co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua, to enter parliament.
Melia welcmes his supporters from prison. Photo: Mtavari Arkhi.
The EU-mediated agreement currently signed by the majority of political parties to resolve the political tension covers electoral and justice reforms, offers a pardon for all violations and convictions stemming from the 19-21 June 2019 protests and the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections in 2022 if the ruling party fails to receive at least 43 per cent of votes in this year’s municipal elections.
The UNM, European Georgia and Labour Party have not signed the agreement so far.
Melia says that posting bail is unacceptable for him (because he believes the bail is unfair), as well as amnesty for all violations during June protests.
He says that the law enforcers who exceed their power during the protests, must not be released.
Degnan says that several options are being discussed for Melia’s release.
She says that signing the EU proposal drafted by the European Council Charles Michel ‘was an important step forward,’ because coming to the agreement ‘took much time and was very complicated.’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has announced today that she will pardon opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV co-founder Giorgi Rurua on April 27. Zurabishvili had stated earlier on April 19 that she would pardon Rurua if Georgian political parties signed the renewed EU-proposed agreement and if opposition MPs entered parliament.
The US Department of State has urged the remaining opposition parties and individual MPs to sign the EU-mediated agreement to resolve the political tension in Georgia which began after the October 2020 parliamentary elections.
Opposition parties which have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party will enter the state legislature on April 27 to submit an amnesty bill. Six Georgian political parties and several individual MPs signed the proposal by the European Council President Charles Michel on April 19 to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who currently holds an official post in Ukraine, has urged the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party to sign the new proposal by the EU and enter parliament after UNM leader Nika Melia leaves prison ‘without posting bail and in a dignified manner.’
United States Senators Jim Risch, Ron Johnson and Jeanne Shaheen have introduced a bipartisan resolution in support of the full implementation of Georgia’s April 19 agreement to end the political impasse in the country.
Civil activists have gathered in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi to protest the amnesty bill that is scheduled to be submitted next week.
Currently imprisoned head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia is ready to post bail and leave prison if parliament will not register the amnesty bill for convictions stemming from the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi, according to the recent EU-mediated agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.
Opposition MPs who have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this month have entered parliament earlier today.