Nika Melia from the Georgian opposition was detained shortly before the court hearing. He is in prison for alleged failure to fulfill his obligations against the Parliamentary Commission.
The Georgian police detained the opposition leader Nika Melia on Thursday, AFP reported that this is another government intervention against the dissent.
Meli’s lawyer Giorgi Kondachišvili made it clear that Melia was stopped by a police patrol, and then he was detained by several police officers – including members of the criminal police – with the use of the force and had done without any explanation. “Basically, he was kidnapped. The police acted aggressively and without explanation,” the lawyer added.
Nikanor “Nika” Melia is the leader of the Achali party (new) and the key figure of the Georgian opposition. He is currently awaiting a trial for refusing to appear before the Parliamentary Commission, which investigates alleged abuse of powers at a time when he was President of the Georgian Mikhail Saakashvili. Melius is in danger of a year of imprisonment in this case.
They also prosecute a second politician
The Echo Caucasus has added that Melia was detained on the eve of the court proceedings, where it was to be decided on his possible detention in the case. Another opposition leader – Zurab Japaridze – is also prosecuted for the refusal to cooperate with the parliamentary commission.
This commission was created in February by the government of the Georgian Dream Party as part of the wider initiative – announced before last year’s disputed elections – in order to build the main opposition parties outside the law. Almost all opposition leaders consider this Grémium to be illegitimate and refuse to cooperate with it.
Georgia is in political chaos from the disputed parliamentary elections from October 2024, which has caused mass protests. Demonstrators blame the government of slipping towards authoritarianism and tending to Moscow. The government rejects these claims.
The tension was intensified in November 2024, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze announced that Georgia would postpone negotiations on EU membership until 2028.
