Prosecutor’s Office: if Melia posts bail, we’ll request his release

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has stated earlier today that if the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia posts bail, they will request his release from Tbilisi City Court. 

Melia, who is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019, was arrested earlier this week for refusal to post bail. 

The arrest sparked further political tension in the country. 

The opposition parties which have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since November 2020 have taken to the street again, demanding the release of Melia and repeat parliamentary elections. 

The international community has urged political parties in the country to deescalate the situation and negotiate. 

The Prosecutor’s Office said that Melia publicly violated his bail conditions in November 2019 and also publicly refused to post the additional 40,000GEL which was added to his initial, 30,000GEL bail for publicly removing a surveillance bracelet. 

Melia was elected UNM chair in December 2020. Photo: Nika Melia's Facebook page. 

If we increased the bail once again, it was very likely that Melia would have refused to pay it and, at the same time, the increase of bail once again would not be proportional for the disregard of the law,” the Prosecutor’s Office said. 

Earlier today Tbilisi Court of Appeals did not accept the lawsuit of Melia’s lawyers on the annulment of the Tbilisi City Court’s decision on February 17 on Melia’s arrest. 

Melia’s lawyers said that the refusal of Tbilisi Court of Appeals ‘has political grounds.’ 

However, per the law, the Court of Appeals does not accept the lawsuits on pretrial measures during the substantive hearing of the case. 

What is the case about?

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. 

Opposition says that they will continue rallies. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

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. 

On February 18 Georgian PM Giorgi Gakharia resigned ‘because he failed to make an agreement with the ruling Georgian Georgian Dream party over the arrest of Melia.’ 

The ruling party confirmed the disagreement and said that law should have been enforced. 

Melia was arrested shortly after the parliament approved the new prime minister and his cabinet on February 22.