PM Garibashvili: Melia is a criminal, everyone is equal before the law
Parliament approved Irakli Garibashvili as the country’s PM yesterday. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has responded to the arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia earlier today and stated that ‘Melia is a criminal’ and that everyone in a democratic state is equal before the law.
Melia has been found guilty in the Cartu Bank case and earlier today, Georgian police arrested him in a special operation for another case he is charged in. During the June 2019 protests Melia encouraged people to engage in violence and tried to break into the parliament building,” Garibashvili said.
Garibashvili stated that the government and the law enforcers acted ‘in full line with democratic standards.’
We are building a democratic state and everyone in the country, no matter to their taste and political views, must obey the law,” Garibashvili said.
Garibashvili thanked police and stated that ‘I am proud of you!’
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze stated that Melia ‘deliberately chose a provocative way to further escalate the situation’ in the country.
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze said that Melia deliberately refused to pay bail. Photo: parliament of Georgia press office.
When someone disregards the law and attacks state institutions the response will be like that in any democratic state,” Talakvadze said.
He stated that Melia will be able to defend himself in a ‘fair court.’
Tbilisi Mayor and Secretary General of the Georgian Dream ruling party Kakha Kaladze said that ‘unfortunately, people in Georgia still disregard the law.’
He praised the police for the special operation ‘which ended without any serious incident.’
Melia is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019
Kaladze said that Melia disregards the law. Photo: Kakha Kaladze's press office.
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.
Melia 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.
On February 16 The Georgian Parliament suspended the MP status of Melia and allowed the country’s Prosecutor’s Office to request his arrest by the court.
On February 17 Tbilisi City Court ruled that Melia be remanded into custody for failure to post bail.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria and Transparency International Georgia NGO have condemned the recent arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia and stated that the move will further complicate current political tension in the country.
Georgian opposition parties which won seats in the October 31, 2020 parliamentary elections and who demand repeat elections have postponed a rally on February 25 to ‘give time to the ruling Georgian Dream party’ to resume talks.
The US Embassy in Georgia has responded to the arrest of the United National Movement leader Nika Melia and a special operation which stormed the UNM office this morning and stated that 'Georgia has moved backward on its path toward becoming a stronger democracy in the Euro-Atlantic family of nations'.
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.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the ruling Georgian Dream party have reported ongoing cyber attacks on their websites on Tuesday, with party chairperson Mamuka Mdinaradze telling local media the "massed" digital operation was aimed at "destabilising" the political situation in the country.
Twenty-one people were detained earlier today when special unit servicemen stormed the United National Movement office to arrest party chair Nika Melia, announces Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Former opposition MP and the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia has been arrested by police earlier today for refusal to post bail shortly after the parliament approved Irakli Garibashvili prime minister and his cabinet late yesterday. Melia was arrested in his office in the UNM headquarters in Tbilisi by special unit servicemen. Police allegedly used pepper spray in the room.
EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell has responded to a special forces storm of the United National Movement office this morning to arrest its chair Nika Melia and said that 'all sides need to demonstrate responsibility and have the best interest of the country and the Georgian people at heart' in his post on Twitter.
Opposition parties and their supporters have blocked off central Rustaveli Avenue earlier today, following the recent arrest of the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia.Melia, who is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019, has been arrested for refusal to post bail.
Georgia's former prime minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and former foreign minister Mikheil Janelidze have reacted to the arrest of opposition leader Nika Melia on Tuesday and subsequent political tensions in the country by calling on the government to avoid confrontation, with Janelidze also making a call for repeat parliamentary elections.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Ali Asadov as well as Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pasinyan, have congratulated Irakli Garibashvili on his recent confirmation as Georgia’s new prime minister.