On May 29, Giorgi Kondakhashvili, the lawyer of Nika Melia, a leader of the opposition Coalition for Change, confirmed his client’s arrest in Tbilisi.
Kondakhashvili described the arrest as "absolutely incomprehensible," stating that the police had no grounds for detention since the deadline for paying bail in Melia’s case extended until midnight on May 29, and no court decision had altered his preventive measures.
Kondakhashvili claimed that police forcibly stopped Melia’s vehicle and detained him without legal basis.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that Melia was arrested under Article 173 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which addresses verbal abuse or other insulting actions against police officers.