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3w ago

Georgia Holds Opposition Leader Nika Melia in Pre-Trial Detention as Crackdown Intensifies

His detention follows refusal to appear at a parliamentary probe into alleged Saakashvili-era crimes

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition group, charged with failing to appear before the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission, attends a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/Pool/ File Photo
Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition group, charged with failing to appear before the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission, splashes water towards a judge during a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/Pool
Nika Melia, leader of Georgia's largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM), speaks during a rally in support of jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, in Tbilisi, Georgia November 19, 2021. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/File Photo
Nika Melia, leader of Georgia's largest opposition party United National Movement (UNM), and his supporters gather in a tent outside the party's office after they announced a hunger strike to demand the immediate release of jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi, Georgia December 22, 2021. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/ File Photo

Overview

  • Nika Melia, a top Coalition for Change leader, was detained Thursday and placed in pre-trial detention after declining to attend a parliamentary inquiry into alleged offenses from former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s tenure.
  • Last week’s similar action saw fellow opposition figure Zurab Japaridze held for refusing to cooperate with the same inquiry, marking a second high-profile detention in just over a week.
  • Critics accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of steering the country toward authoritarianism and deepening ties with Russia, reversing Georgia’s previous pro-Western trajectory.
  • After winning a disputed November 2024 election, Georgian Dream suspended European Union accession talks until 2028, prompting months of mass protests and a forceful government response.
  • In December 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on Georgian Dream leader Bidzina Ivanishvili for actions deemed to undermine Georgian democracy in favor of Russia.