Melia sentenced to prison for insulting a judge

A Tbilisi court sentenced Nika Melia, the leader of the opposition Coalition for Change, to one year and six months in prison after finding his attempt to throw water at a judge during a May hearing to be an insult.

The Tbilisi City Court sentenced Nika Melia, the leader of the opposition Coalition for Change, to one year and six months in prison after finding him guilty of insulting a judge.

Melia was charged under Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Georgia after he threw water at Judge Irakli Shvangiradze during a May 30 hearing, claiming he was acting on political orders, according to Novosti Georgia.

Melia is currently serving an eight-month sentence for failing to appear for a meeting of a controversial parliamentary commission, which, at the initiative of the ruling Georgian Dream, was examining the alleged crimes of the previous government. His prison term was supposed to expire in January.

Given the application of the absorption principle, the time already served will be counted towards the new sentence, and Melia will spend another 14 months in prison.

"This decision was expected. It seems the authorities have decided that Nika should remain in prison... We will try to appeal this decision in the appellate court," the opposition leader's lawyer said.

Melia and seven other opposition figures are simultaneously being charged with attempting to overthrow state power. Melia faces two to four years in prison if found guilty under Part 1 of Article 318 (sabotage).

Melia was not present at today's hearing, but his supporters held a protest in the courtyard and greeted the verdict with noise; one of them was detained.