Legal Harassment of Opposition Leader Nika Melia and Political Fallout

Nika Melia

On May 29–30, 2025, opposition figure Nika Melia—co-chair of the Ahali party and a leader of the Coalition for Change—was detained and placed in pretrial detention after defying a parliamentary summons and refusing to pay a ₾50,000 bail. The sequence of events, his dramatic courtroom outburst, and domestic and international reactions illustrate the intensifying confrontation between the ruling Georgian Dream party and its opponents, raising concerns over democratic backsliding.

Background: Refusal to Cooperate with Parliament’s Investigative Commission

Following the disputed October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majority established a temporary investigative commission to probe alleged crimes by former United National Movement (UNM) officials. Many opposition leaders—including Melia, Zurab Japaridze (Girchi–More Freedom) and Nika Gvaramia (Ahali)—rejected the commission’s legitimacy, viewing the one-party parliament as unconstitutional. They refused to testify, triggering criminal charges under Article 349 of the Criminal Code for “refusal to comply with the demands of a parliamentary investigative commission.”

• Zurab Japaridze was jailed on May 22 after refusing to post ₾50,000 bail.

• Irakli Okruashvili, former Defense Minister, was detained on May 14 for the same reason.

• Nika Gvaramia now faces an imminent pretrial detention order, having also declined to post bail.

Against this backdrop, Georgian Dream’s stated goal is to use the commission’s findings to ban the UNM and its successor parties by year’s end—an initiative critics decry as a politically motivated purge.

May 29 Controversial Arrest

Melia’s troubles began the evening of May 29. According to the Interior Ministry, he was detained near Lisi Lake in Tbilisi at approximately 9 p.m. for “insulting police officers”—an administrative offense. Melia, en route to record a social-media show, recounted that officers stopped his vehicle, questioned the driver for a license, and then, after overhearing a radio message asking if “the object was in the car,” forcefully removed him.

“I was abducted by 11 people. There were no signs that they were policemen… It was an abduction—they dragged me into the car using force and took my phone by force,” Melia told the court. “One of them tried several times to put the phone to my face [to unlock it], which couldn’t happen in the van.”

Opposition politicians immediately denounced the “arrest” as an outright “abduction,” arguing Melia had already announced he wouldn’t attend the May 30 hearing.

May 30 Court Hearing: From Bail to Detention

Bail Replacement

On May 30, Judge Irakli Shvangiradze convened the Tbilisi City Court to address the criminal charge of non-compliance with the parliamentary commission. Although Melia had been granted ₾50,000 bail, prosecutors moved to replace it with pretrial detention, citing Melia’s failure to pay. Melia’s defense attorney, Giorgi Kondakhishvili, argued that his client was detained around 9 p.m. on May 29—well before the midnight bail deadline—meaning Melia could still have posted bail. “No one prevents a person from changing their decision,” Kondakhishvili asserted, claiming authorities unlawfully restricted Melia’s right to pay.

Prosecutors countered that Melia had “blatant disregard” for a lawful court order, and Judge Shvangiradze questioned whether Melia’s failure to pay reflected his detention or a deliberate refusal to comply. Ultimately, Shvangiradze granted the prosecution’s motion. Melia was formally placed in pretrial detention—a measure widely anticipated given similar rulings against Japaridze and Okruashvili, and the pending decision against Gvaramia.

Courtroom Drama

Tensions exploded when Melia, furious at being repeatedly pressed on whether he had planned to pay bail, accused the judge of ignoring his claims of abduction. At one point, Melia hurled water from a bottle toward Judge Shvangiradze, labeling him part of a “criminal chain” within the judiciary. Court security promptly expelled Melia from the courtroom.

Outside, supporters were barred from entering the courthouse courtyard, and journalists were forced to report via smartphone as cameramen were denied access. Water cannons were stationed nearby—recalling the heightened security during Japaridze’s arrest days earlier.

Political and Legal Context

The GD Commission’s Mandate

The GD-appointed investigative commission, chaired by veteran party member and former Justice and Culture Minister Tea Tsulukiani, is tasked with examining alleged abuses by the UNM government. Its investigations cover:

• Alleged torture of detainees

• Business racketeering and corruption schemes

• The government’s role in the August 2008 war with Russia, which the commission blames on former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration

Most opposition figures summoned have refused to appear, denouncing the commission as illegitimate. One exception is Giorgi Gakharia, ex-GD prime minister and current leader of the For Georgia party, who testified while insisting that his appearance did not imply recognition of GD’s parliamentary authority.

GD intends to present the commission’s final report to the Constitutional Court as the basis for banning the UNM and allied parties—an outcome critics say would criminalize political dissent and cement one-party rule.

Domestic Reactions

Resistance Platform denounced Melia’s arrest as symptomatic of the “fear-driven, Russian regime” under billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. They called on Georgians and international partners to recognize that under such “tyranny,” a free and fair political environment is impossible.

Strong Georgia (Lelo–Strong Georgia coalition) accused GD of “abducting opposition figures from the streets,” warning that the regime would employ “all instruments at its disposal to neutralize opposition leaders.”

Tina Bokuchava, chair of the UNM, said Melia’s arrest was entirely predictable, describing bail as “Ivanishvili’s tribute” imposed by the so-called “treason commission” led by Prosecutor Tea Tsulukiani. She praised Melia’s “principled, brave decision” not to pay and lambasted the regime’s violent tactics.

International Condemnation

U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson blasted the “anti-American Georgian Dream regime” for arresting Melia on “false pretexts,” warning that the “total banning of opposition” is underway to facilitate closer ties with China—and calling for sanctions.

Rasa Juknevičienė, Lithuanian MEP, noted that Melia’s arrest follows Japaridze’s detention and demanded urgent EU action.

Marko Mihkelson, chair of the foreign affairs committee in the Estonian Parliament, warned that Georgia is sliding into “dictatorship” akin to Russia and Belarus and urged the EU to revoke Georgia’s visa-free regime and impose harsher sanctions.

Dan Barna, vice-president of the ALDE Party, condemned the “ongoing crackdown,” saying it undermines democracy and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs likewise deplored Melia’s arrest and demanded that GD halt its “crackdown on civil society and political opposition.”

Analysis and Next Steps

Melia’s detention and the broader campaign against opposition figures highlight deepening rifts in Georgian politics. By targeting high-profile leaders such as Melia, Japaridze, Okruashvili, and soon Gvaramia, Georgian Dream appears to be intensifying legal pressure on rival parties. Critics argue that the commission’s purpose is not genuine fact-finding but rather to eliminate political competition, leveraging criminal charges and pretrial detention to intimidate outspoken opponents.

As GD readies its final commission report—reportedly aimed at banning the UNM and related parties—opposition forces warn that Georgia’s democratic institutions are under siege. The question now is whether international actors (the EU, U.S., and NATO-aligned governments) will respond with punitive measures or increased diplomatic pressure to preserve political pluralism.

Meanwhile, Melia remains in pretrial detention, facing up to one year in prison or a hefty fine if convicted of noncompliance with the commission. His next court appearance is expected to focus on both the defiance charge and his account of the “abduction.” Public protests are likely to continue, and the broader political struggle over Georgia’s direction—between closer ties with the West or deeper alignment with Russia—will intensify as these legal battles unfold.