MIA Appeals to Court to Question Ugulava, Okruashvili and Baramidze
The Ministry of Internal Affairs appeals to court with a request to question opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava, Irakli Okruashvili, and Gia Baramidze. They will answer the questions before the magistrate judge.
According to MIA, the relevant decision was made due to the fact that all three persons refused to arrive at the investigative agency for interrogation.
“Thus, the Ministry is appealing to the court with regard to the questioning of these persons”, states the Agency.
On June 22, a briefing was held at MIA, where Mamuka Chelidze, acting director of the Central Criminal Police Department, stated that Gigi Ugulava, Nika Melia and Irakli Okruashvili were summoned for questioning within the investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the June 20-21 rally in front of the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi.
Chelidze also announced that the Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation under Article 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving organization, management or participation in group violence.
One of the opposition leaders, the member of the United National Movement, Nika Melia, was charged for organizing or managing group violence or participating in it. According to the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, he called on the protestors to forcefully enter Parliament building during the June 20 rally.
On June 26, the Georgian Parliamentary Procedural and Legal Affairs committees agreed to the appeal of the General Prosecutor’s Office to apply to Court with mediation to impose detention to Nika Melia. On the same day, Georgian Parliament suspended Melia’s political immunity at a plenary session. 91 politicians voted in favor of lifting his immunity, with zero against.
However, according to the Tbilisi City Court's judgment, Melia was released on 30,000 GEL bail instead of imprisonment on June 27.
On July 2, the Court of Appeals upheld the decision of Tbilisi City Court and accepted Melia’s release on bail.
Additionally, certain restrictions were imposed against Nika Melia, namely, he was prohibited from leaving home without previously informing law enforcers, making public statements in public areas and communicating with witnesses. Also, the Prosecutor’s Office has been ordered to carry out monitoring of Nika Melia using an electronic bracelet.
By Ana Dumbadze