The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has stated earlier today that if the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia posts bail, they will request his release from Tbilisi City Court.
Melia, who is charged with incitement to violence during the June protests in Tbilisi back in 2019, was arrested on February 23 for refusal to post bail.
The opposition parties which have been demanding repeat parliamentary elections since November 2020 have taken to the street again, demanding the release of Melia and repeat parliamentary elections.
The international community has urged political parties in the country to deescalate the situation and negotiate.
The Prosecutor’s Office said that Melia publicly violated his bail conditions in November 2019 and also publicly refused to post the additional 40,000GEL which was added to his initial, 30,000GEL bail for publicly removing a surveillance bracelet.
"If we increased the bail once again, it was very likely that Melia would have refused to pay it and, at the same time, the increase of bail once again would not be proportional for the disregard of the law," Agenda.ge cited the Prosecutor’s Office as saying.
