Giorgi Baramidze, a member of the opposition United National Movement (UNM), said the party would counter the UNM Chair Nika Melia’s arrest and that “the regime will have to attack the UNM office with special ops”.

According to Baramidze, the parliament’s decision to lift MP authority to Nika Melia was no surprise.

“The gang fulfilling Putin’s plans was likely to do what they did. Gavrilov voiced Putin’s instruction. Because he believes that this regime should openly obey Putin’s instructions in its ninth year, and it is time to act under the openly received instructions,” Giorgi Baramidze claimed.

Baramidze said that the UNM members, other opposition parties, and ordinary Georgians expressed solidarity with Nika Melia. They would try to halt his imprisonment under political motives and absurd charges.

The Georgian parliament voted for lifting the parliamentary immunity to Nika Melia, Chairman of the United National Movement (UNM) party, with 88 votes pro and two con. Tuesday’s decision of the Georgian lawmakers grants the Prosecutor’s Office the right to apply to the court to request substitution of the existing restraint against Melia with imprisonment.