US Embassy Praises Georgian Govt, Opposition For Showing 'Restraint' Over Melia Case

The US embassy in Tbilisi on Thursday said that it "appreciates" the restraint shown by the Georgian government and the opposition in responding to the latest developments around the case of Nika Melia, the chairman of the United National Movement (UNM) party

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th February, 2021) The US embassy in Tbilisi on Thursday said that it "appreciates" the restraint shown by the Georgian government and the opposition in responding to the latest developments around the case of Nika Melia, the chairman of the United National Movement (UNM) party.

Earlier in the day, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced his resignation, citing a disagreement with his team on the case of Melia, who was stripped of his parliamentary immunity this week after a Tbilisi court ruled that he be remanded into custody. In connection with Gakharia's resignation, the Internal Affairs Ministry temporarily suspended the planned detention of Melia. Meanwhile, the ruling Georgian Dream party nominated Irakli Garibashvili, who currently serves as the defense minister, as a candidate for the prime minister's post.

"The U.S Embassy appreciates the restraint shown by the authorities and the opposition in responding to the events surrounding the Melia case. It is imperative that all those involved commits to de-escalating the current tensions so that a way forward can be agreed upon," the embassy said.

The US embassy added that Washington remains willing to assist Tbilisi in facilitating a dialogue between the government and the opposition to find a solution to the current political crisis.

The European Union and the United Kingdom have also called on the Georgian government and opposition leaders to act with restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions.

Melia was briefly arrested for leading riots and anti-Russian protests back in June 2019 and later released on 30,000 Georgian lari ($9,063) bail. He was forced to wear a monitoring bracelet but removed it publicly during protests that erupted in November 2020 following the general election, which the Georgian opposition did not recognize. This prompted the court to revise the conditions of Melia's release and impose a new bail, totaling 40,000 lari. The UNM chairman has refused to pay the bail.