Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia bail set at $18,000 for failing to appear before anti-UNM commission

The Tbilisi City Court has set a ₾50,000 ($18,000) bail for Nika Melia, one of the leaders of opposition group Coalition for Change, for failing to appear before parliamentary commission created to investigate crimes allegedly committed by the formerly ruling United National Movement party (UNM).

Judge Lela Maridashvili set Melia a 30-day period to post bail on Tuesday.

Melia is being investigated for failing to comply with the request of a temporary parliamentary investigative commission, an act punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine. He could also be barred from holding public office for up to three years.

The Prosecutor General’s Office pressed the charges against Melia on Monday.

Prior to founding Ahali with Nika Gvaramia in March 2024, Melia served as the UNM’s chair between 2020–2022.

According to TV Formula, the message sent to Melia by the investigative commission stated that his interrogation was related to ‘the situation in the field of human rights protection in 2004–2012 and, in the following years, domestic and foreign political processes’.

According to local media, during the court session, Melia said that he refused to appear before the commission because it was ‘illegitimate’.

‘As for paying the bail, when the specific calendar day comes, you will know my position and that of my friends in this regard’, Melia said.

Melia’s lawyer, Giorgi Kondakhashvili, said that they plan to appeal the court’s decision once it has been officially handed to Melia.

‘Of course, we do not expect the Court of Appeals to change anything, but we will go through all the stages from a legal point of view’, he said.

Melia was summoned to the investigative commission’s session on 11 April, having refused to appear before it like most other opposition politicians summoned by the commission.

Among those who have refused to appear at the commission were Strategy Aghmashenebeli’s Giorgi Vashadze, Strong Georgia’s Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, former MP Givi Targamadze, and Coalition for Change leaders Nika Gvaramia and Zura Japaridze — both of whom have already been charged for not appearing before the commission.

Opposition leader Vashadze’s bail set at $18,000 for failing to appear before anti-UNM commission

Most of the opposition politicians who were called to attend the commission’s session refused to participate.

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Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who is now a leader of the opposition For Georgia party, has been the only leading opposition member as of publication to appear before the controversial parliamentary commission.

His attendance has sparked criticism amongst Georgia’s opposition.

Gakharia appears before anti-UNM commission, grilled by ex-colleagues over his once-praised tenure

It was unclear until the last moment whether Giorgi Gakharia would even attend the commission’s hearing.

OC MediaMikheil Gvadzabia

In March, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s parliamentary leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, said that the party planned to petition the Constitutional Court to declare opposition parties unconstitutional, based on the forthcoming conclusions of the commission.

The UNM, which ran in the October 2024 elections under the Unity — National Movement group alongside the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, was in power between 2003–2012, and is most associated with detained former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The commission to investigate the UNM’s time in power was established in February, and followed repeated pledges by Georgian Dream to punish the UNM. The ruling party has particularly focused on accusing the UNM of provoking and starting the August 2008 War.

Georgian Dream vows to amend law to ban new and future opposition parties

Banning the political opposition was one of the ruling party’s pre-election promises for 2024.

OC MediaMikheil Gvadzabia