Opposition leader Nika Melia hit with second pretrial detention over courtroom water-splash incident

Georgian opposition leader Nika Melia has been placed in pretrial detention for a second time, this time over charges of contempt of court for splashing water at a judge during a heated courtroom protest.

Melia, already in custody for defying a Georgian Dream–established parliamentary commission by refusing to appear before it, was handed an additional detention order on June 20 by Judge Irakli Khuskivadze of Tbilisi City Court. The opposition politician was not present at the hearing.

The new charge, filed under the criminal code article for contempt of court, carries a sentence of up to two years in prison. In contrast, the earlier charge related to noncompliance with the parliamentary commission carries a maximum sentence of one year.

The case stems from a May 30 hearing, where Melia was being tried for refusing to testify before the commission investigating alleged crimes committed during the former United National Movement government. The commission, chaired by Georgian Dream MP Tea Tsulukiani, has been criticized as a political weapon against opposition figures. Notably, Melia,and other opposition figures Zurab Japaridze, Irakli Okruashvili, and Nika Gvaramia have all received detention orders for similar defiance.

On May 29, just hours before his initial court appearance, Melia was arrested near Lisi Lake in Tbilisi, accused of insulting a police officer. He described the arrest as an “abduction.” During the court session the following day, he confronted Judge Irakli Shvangiradze, criticizing the judge’s apparent indifference toward the arrest.

“You don’t care whether I was abducted or not. You’re just staring through glassy eyes,” Melia said during the hearing.“You’re a participant—just another link in a criminal chain that refuses to ask who abducted me.”

After this outburst, Melia splashed water from a bottle at the judge, which led to his removal from the courtroom.