European Parliament member Michael Gahler: Georgian Dream, UNM should make compromise on UNM Melia’s release
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Member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs Michael Gahler says the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition United National Movement (UNM) should reach an agreement on the release of UNM leader Nika Melia from the detention facility if he will wear a monitoring bracelet again.
Speaking with TV Pirveli media outlet Gahler, who is the member of the Group of the European People's Party, said the cases of opposition leader Melia and co-founder of Mtavari Arkhi media outlet Giorgi Rurua - whom opposition call ‘political prisoners’ - has better be separated.
- One individual ready to post bail for UNM opposition leader Nika Melia
- Co-founder of Mtavari Arkhi channel Giorgi Rurua sentenced to 4 years in prison
Gahler said while in the case of convicted Rurua the option is the presidential pardon, in Melia’s case he needs to post the bail to be released from the detention.
Saying that the attempted raid on the parliament back in 2019 and the consequent refusal to wear the monitoring bracelet was the provocation from Melia, Gaher believes the opposing sides should try to find an agreement over his release.
- UNM leader 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.
- 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.
Melia was arrested on February 23, 2021 for his refusal to pay 40,000 GEL of his 70,000 GEL bail which sparked further political tension in the country and pushed the opposition to the street again.
His release is one of top demands of the opposition, along with the conduct of repeat parliamentary elections, in the currently ongoing EU-mediated talks between the ruling party and the opposition.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that they were ready to sign an agreement offered by the EU mediator in the talks with the opposition if several changes were introduced in it.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have failed to come to an agreement in EU-mediated talks for the second time. The document offered by EU mediator Christian Danielsson yesterday which concerned ‘ambitious electoral and judicial reform’ and offered amnesty for suspects and convicts of the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi was not signed by any of the parties.
The head of the Psychologists’ Development Research Centre Besik Bogveli has requested consent from the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to post 40,000 GEL bail instead of the head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia.
US foreign policy expert and former ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker does not see the need for repeat parliamentary elections in Georgia. Volker told TV Pirveli media outlet that despite certain violations which need to be investigated, the OSCE/ODIHR has recognised last year’s elections as transparent and legitimate.
The US Department of State is ‘disappointed’ that the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition have not yet come to an agreement to ease the current political tension in Georgia, Voice of America (VoA) cites the US Department of State as saying.