The General Prosecutor’s Office appealed to the Georgian Parliament on use of imprisonment as a measure of restraint for Nika Melia, Chairman of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) Party.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that Nika Melia failed to pay the bail in set terms, and that further increase of the bail amount would not be considered as adequate, logical and proportional measure. Therefore, the only legislative alternative measure under the given circumstance would be imprisonment.

The General Prosecutor’s Office asked the parliament to mediate with the court to obtain consent to imprison Nika Melia.

The terms to pay the bail by Nika Melia, Chairman of the United National Movement (UNM) Party expired on Friday. Melia refused to pay the bail.

General Prosecutor’s Office gave Nika Melia an additional one-week term to pay the bail on February 5. Melia will face arrest if he fails to pay the bail or warrant the amount with the immovable property.

The UNM Chairman was detained on June 25, 2019, for participation in group violence. Tbilisi City Court ruled on June 27 to release him on GEL 30 000-bail.

The court ruled Nika Melia to wear the electronic monitoring assigned bracelet, but the opposition politician publicly took it off at the oppositional rally in Rustaveli Avenue on November 1, 2020.

Tbilisi City Court increased the bail amount to GEL 40 000, prohibited the state border crossing, and gave Melia 50 days to pay the bail under the prosecution’s motion.

The General Prosecutor’s Office further claimed that although Nika Melia owns the property and possesses money, he violated the terms to pay the bail before December 24, 2020.