US senator, former US ambassador, former MEP concerned by Georgian court's ruling to detain opposition leader
Nika 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. Photo: Nika Melia's Facebook page.
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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.
Risch said the decision of Tbilisi City Court is 'dangerous for Georgian democracy'.
Melia's detention is another politically motivated imprisonment that will complicate the ongoing negotiations between Georgian political parties on the governance of Georgia. My concern over the deterioration of the independence of the Georgian judiciary has been exacerbated by these events" said Risch in his interview with VOA's Georgian Service.
Kelly said in his post on Twitter that arresting Melia 'will inflame the already tense situation and further delay negotiations to enable a multiparty parliament'.
Arresting and detaining Melia will inflame already tense situation and further delay negotiations to enable a multiparty parliament. Govt must defuse situation and restart those negotiations. https://t.co/kQ7gEnDKk3
— Ian Kelly (@ikelly731) February 17, 2021
Harms also shared her doubts about the independence of judiciary in Georgia in her post on Twitter:
Doubts about the independence of judiciary in #Georgia ???????? had been addressed on several issues before. Arrest of opposition leader is a very severe development. Indeed a dark day in Tbilisi. https://t.co/WlcSWee96y
— Rebecca Harms (@RebHarms) February 17, 2021
Member of the European Parliament Anna Fotyga has also posted on her Twitter account that she is 'alarmed by the news coming from Georgia':
I am alarmed by the news coming from Georgia, a country that used to set examples for others and now slides back to its turbulent past as in 1990s. Decision to arrest @UNMGeorgia Chairman Nika Melia is unacceptable. https://t.co/FF5Qno3zgG
— Anna Fotyga - Biuro Poselskie (@AnnaFotyga_PE) February 18, 2021
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.
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.
Tbilisi City Court has ruled that United National Movement chair Nika Melia be remanded into custody for failure to post bail, per the request of the country’s Prosecutor’s Office. Meanwhile, the United States Embassy to Georgia calls on the authorities and the opposition 'to exercise maximum restraint in the wake of tonight’s ruling'.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has announced his resignation earlier today, saying that the step is connected with the upcoming arrest of the opposition MP, the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia. Gakharia has stated that Melia violated the law and has been engaged in sparking tension in the country.
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’.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has nominated Defense Minister Irakli Garibashvili, 39, for the premiership earlier today, following the resignation of Giorgi Gakharia. This is the second time the Georgian Dream has nominated Garibashvili for the premiership. Initially he served as PM between November 2013 and December 2015. He was the second PM under the Georgian Dream leadership, replacing the founder of the party Bidzina Ivanishvili in the role.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a statement today, saying the ministry is concerned by the political situation in Georgia and reduced chance of dialogue, encouraging the Georgian authorities and opposition to refrain from actions jeopardising the country's future prospects.
The European Union urges the Georgian authorities and opposition ‘to act with utmost restraint and responsibility to avoid further escalation’ following a court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for United National Movement chair Nika Melia and the ‘subsequent resignation’ of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.
Responding to the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the Lelo for Georgia opposition party said ‘this is the right step, which creates an opportunity to defuse the existing political crisis’. Party leader Badri Japaridze has called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to immediately start negotiations involving international partners in order to reach a political agreement between the opposition and the ruling party.
Foreign diplomats and politicians have expressed concern over the special operation of Georgian police which stormed the United National Movement office this morning to arrest its chair Nika Melia.