Trial of UNM Chair underway at Tbilisi City Court

17:24, 17.02.2021

The trial of Nika Melia, Chairman of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) Party, is underway at the Tbilisi City Court. The indictee Melia does not attend the hearing presided by Judge Nino Chakhnashvili.

Prosecutor Mikheil Sadradze filed a motion for Melia’s imprisonment as a substitutive measure for the unpaid bail.

Melia was charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in the Georgian capital Tbilisi in 2019 and was released on GEL 30,000 bail. UNM Chairman defied the bail conditions by removing his monitoring bracelet. The court increased the bail amount to GEL 40,000 in November 2020 following the violation. Melia did not pay the added bail either.

The General Prosecutor’s Office (POG) warned Melia of a motion to substitute the bail with custody. POG appealed to the Georgian parliament to suspend his parliamentary immunity to request his arrest from the court.

The parliament greenlit measures against Melia with 88 votes pro on February 16.

By - Elene Dobordjginidze

Justice/Crime

Nika Melia

Tbilisi City Court

trial