The tense situation in Tbilisi: why was the opposition leader arrested?

Nika (Nikanor) Melia, one of the most prominent and influential opposition leaders in Georgia, and one of the leaders of the People's Party and the opposition coalition "For Change", was detained by police in the capital Tbilisi. The incident occurred on the evening of May 29, confirmed the politician's supporters and associates. According to them, Nika Melia was stopped and detained by law enforcement officers while leaving her home to record her new podcast program.

A little later, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs also confirmed the incident. According to the ministry, the opposition politician was arrested on administrative charges for insulting a law enforcement officer during the performance of his official duties.

It should also be noted that this is not the first clash between Nika Melia and government agencies in recent times. Melia is currently under investigation for his refusal to testify before a parliamentary commission investigating the activities of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. According to Georgian law, failure to comply with a parliamentary commission's request is punishable by a large fine or up to a year in prison.

In April of this year, a court ruled to release Melia on bail of 50,000 lari (about 16,000 euros) as a precautionary measure. However, the opposition politician flatly refused to pay this amount. He argued that paying the bail would mean recognizing the legitimacy of the parliamentarians and the commission, so he rejected this demand on principle.

In addition, Melia announced that he would not attend the court hearings to change the precautionary measure, thereby further hardening his political position.

The political situation in Georgia is currently tense, and relations between the opposition and the government have become tense. The arrest of Melia may further exacerbate these contradictions. Opposition supporters are trying to take the incident to an international level, considering it a political pressure.

The entire public will be interested in how this incident will develop in the coming days, how it will affect Melia's political activities, and how the general political environment in Georgia will change. This incident is of great interest not only in Georgia, but also in international circles.