Opposition leader Melia’s latest criminal case referred to court for substantive hearing, lawyer

A new criminal case against Georgian opposition figure Nika Melia has been referred to court for substantive consideration, his lawyer said on Monday.

Giorgi Kondakhishvili said the case concerns an alleged incident of contempt of court, linked to remarks made during a previous hearing. He noted that charges were brought months after the incident.

“The main evidence was an expert report which could not identify the voice in question,” Kondakhishvili said, adding that the case also relied on testimonies from court staff, including the session secretary, bailiffs and security personnel. Based on this, the judge ruled that the case should proceed to a substantive hearing.

The hearing has been scheduled for 3 April.

Melia has been charged under Article 366 (Part 2) of the Criminal Code, which relates to insulting a judge and carries a possible sentence of up to two years’ imprisonment.

His lawyer argued that the case forms part of a broader pattern, claiming that multiple charges have been brought against Melia over the past year. 

He described his client as a political prisoner and said he remained in detention longer than others due to being “unacceptable to the authorities”.

Kondakhishvili also noted that another case, described as a “sabotage” investigation involving opposition figures, was due to be heard in the coming days.