11:08, 26 February 2021

Defence rejects GPO's offer to release Meliya on bail

Nika Meliya. Screenshot of the video https://1tv.ge/ru/news/nika-melija-zajavljaet-chto-planiruet-vstretitsja-s-mikhailom-saakashvili/

The Georgia's General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has expressed its readiness to release Nika Meliya, the leader of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, from custody on bail, but advocates have criticized this proposal as politically motivated. The court refused to consider the defence's appeal against the oppositionist's arrest.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 23, the police conducted a special operation in Tbilisi to detain Nika Meliya, the leader of the oppositional UNM Party. Together with him, 21 activists were detained. They complained about law enforcers' tough methods; two persons were hospitalized. On the same day, Meliya's supporters held a large-scale protest action near the administration of the Georgian Government.

The GPO has stated its readiness to mitigate Meliya's freedom restriction measure, provided a bail is deposited in the amount of 40,000 laris (about USD 12,500).

By its bail statement on bail, the GPO has confirmed that it is persecuting Meliya for political reasons, Dmitry Sadzaglishvili, an advocate, is sure.

On February 16, the Georgian Parliament stripped Nika Meliya of his parliamentary immunity, which allowed the court to rule on his arrest. The US Embassy has expressed its concern about this judgement. Meliya has a threat of up to nine years in prison.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 25, 2020 at 08:14 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.