Georgian opposition leader Melia faces new charge after courtroom incident

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has filed a fresh criminal charge against opposition politician Nika Melia, accusing him of contempt of court following a dramatic outburst during a recent hearing at the Tbilisi City Court.

According to the official statement, Melia - one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change - is alleged to have thrown water at Judge Irakli Shvangiradze during a pre-trial hearing on 30 May. The incident occurred after Melia questioned the circumstances of his arrest the day before, claiming he had been “kidnapped” by police and accusing the judiciary of complicity.

“You are an accomplice, one of the links in the criminal chain, who does not ask who kidnapped me,” Melia told the judge, before splashing him with water from a bottle, the prosecution said.

Following the disruption, Melia was expelled from the courtroom. The hearing was temporarily suspended and later resumed with Judge Shvangiradze announcing that Melia’s bail would be revoked and replaced with pre-trial detention.

The Prosecutor’s Office has charged Melia under Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Georgia - contempt of court expressed by insulting a judge - which carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison. Prosecutors have also requested that Melia be remanded in custody as a preventive measure. He is expected to appeal the motion within the legal timeframe.

The courtroom clash occurred during proceedings related to an earlier case in which Melia is accused of refusing to appear before a parliamentary commission established by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The commission, led by Vice Speaker Thea Tsulukiani, is tasked with investigating alleged crimes committed under the previous government.

Melia, who joined the opposition United National Movement (UNM) after it left power in 2012, is one of several opposition figures, including Irakli Okruashvili, Zurab Japaridze, and Nika Gvaramia, facing legal action for their non-compliance with the commission.

Melia’s latest arrest took place on 29 May, just hours before his court appearance, reportedly on separate charges of insulting a police officer. His supporters have condemned the moves against him as politically motivated, while the authorities maintain that the charges are lawful and unrelated to his political activities.