The European Union said on Saturday it had posted bail for Georgia’s jailed opposition leader, Nika Melia.

When asked about a similar precedent, chair of the DSCA and Co-Chair of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee, MEP Marina Kaljurand told the Accent:

“I do not know about other cases”.

As for the assessment of the fact, she refrained from making a comment.

Melia, the chair of the United National Movement (UNM), was arrested in February in a violent police raid on his party headquarters, sparking protests and condemnation from the west.

The arrest came after Melia, facing charges for heading mass violence during the protest on the night of June 20-21, 2019, refused to post an increased bail of GEL 40,000 . The bail for Melia was increased after he publicly removed an electronic monitoring bracelet during a rally on November 1 while protesting “fraudulent” parliamentary elections outside the Parliament building.

Melia’s arrest was also preceded by the February 18 resignation of previous Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who cited disagreements with his party colleagues on the matter and refused to greenlight the detention.