UPDATED: Court gives green light for detention of opposition UNM chair Nika Melia
Suspending the MP status of Nika Melia yesterday, the ruling party has allowed the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to demand Melia’s arrest from the court. Photo: Nika Melia's Facebook page
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Updated at 23:55
The United States Embassy to Georgia calls on the authorities and the opposition 'to exercise maximum restraint in the wake of tonight’s ruling' against the United National Movement chair Nika Melia.
"Violence serves no one except those who want to undermine Georgia’s stability. This must be resolved peacefully", the US Embassy has stated.
Earlier at 22:30
Tbilisi City Court has ruled that Melia be remanded into custody for failure to post bail, per the request of the country’s Prosecutor’s Office.
Parliament suspended the MP status of Melia yesterday allowing the prosecution to demand his arrest claiming the latter has not posted bail for his release in a case that dates back to the June 2019 protests.
Number of opposition politicians have gathered at the UNM headquarters today to support Melia. Promising to continue the fight against the ruling party, the opposition politicians say they will not surrender.
Expressing his gratitude to everyone for solidarity Melia said following the verdict of the judge Nino Chakhnashvili that 'the party politics' has come to an end and the opposition remains united.
Nika Melia, along with 50 other opposition MPs, is demanding repeat parliamentary elections and has refused to take up his mandate in the 10th convocation of the Georgian parliament in protest. Photo: Nika Melia's Facebook page
The ruling Georgian Dream party announced ahead of the yesterday's voting that they would support the suspension of Melia’s MP immunity as the UNM and its leader have been ‘deliberately provoking’ the judiciary, the state and the public trust to the state institutions.
Melia is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019 which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament.
He was released on 30,000 GEL bail on June 27, 2020. However, Melia violated the conditions of his bail by publicly removing his surveillance bracelet and 40,000 GEL was added to his bail in November 2020.
The UNM chair has refused to pay the 40,000 GEL bail (within 50 days of sentencing) and on February 5, 2021 the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office warned him of the possibility of his bail conditions being reversed to detention.
EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell fears that the possible arrest of opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia will further deepen the Georgian political crisis and create additional barriers between the ruling party and the opposition to achieve an election agreement.
The Georgian Parliament has suspended opposition MP and the new chair of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia earlier today per the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.
The ruling Georgian Dream party will support the suspension of the MP immunity for opposition United National Movement party chair Nika Melia as he has refused to pay the bail. The Chief Prosecutor’s Office asked parliament to suspend MP status for Melia to then request his arrest from the court on Friday.
The new chair of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia may be sent to pretrial detention for refusing to pay 40,000 GEL bail, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office said earlier today.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced that they have postponed the detention of opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement Nika Melia following the recent resignation of Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
US Senator Jim Risch, Former US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly and former MEP Rebecca Harms have responded to yesterday's decision of Tbilisi City Court which ruled to detain United National Movement chair Nika Melia.
Lithuanian Ambassador to Georgia Andrius Kalindra has met with officials from opposition parties at the office of the United National Movement (UNM) office earlier today. Before entering the office he said that ‘we are working with all political parties to achieve success towards Euro-Atlantic integration’.