Georgian opposition figure faces fresh criminal charges

Georgian opposition politician Nika Melia has been charged with an additional criminal offense for contempt of court, authorities said.

According to the press service of Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Melia—one of the founders and leaders of the opposition Ahali party—was formally charged under Part 2 of Article 366 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which covers contempt of court expressed through insulting a judge, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

The charge stems from an incident on November 10, 2025, when Melia allegedly verbally insulted a judge during a hearing at the Tbilisi City Court. An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs concluded that his remarks constituted contempt of court. If convicted, Melia faces up to two years in prison.

As Melia is already serving a sentence in another criminal case, prosecutors have asked the court to schedule a preliminary hearing on the new charge.

Earlier in November, Melia was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for splashing water on a judge during court proceedings. That sentence began on June 20, 2025, the date the charges in that case were filed.

Melia was initially detained on May 29 following administrative proceedings. The following day, he appeared in court over his failure to attend a session of parliament’s temporary investigative commission, after which he was remanded in custody as a preventive measure. During his court address in that case, Melia splashed water on Judge Zviad Shvangiridze.

He was subsequently found guilty of failing to comply with the requirements of the parliamentary investigative commission and sentenced to eight months in prison, along with a two-year ban on holding public office.

By Sabina Mammadli