Georgian politician Irakli Okruashvili reflected on the arrest of Nika Melia via Formula on April 13, calling the decision to imprison the politician “illogical” and expressing his concern about the impact this incident would have on the reputation of the country.
“The current government is not subject to any logic with the verdict the court announced concerning Nika Melia. The country’s reputation suffers every day because of his arrest. We damage our country’s image in the eyes of our international partners because someone made a decision on a whim that Nika Melia should be in jail. If I were to ask any child in the street, even they would be certain that Melia’s incident has a political context to it.
“Issues in court have existed during every government. Corruption was much higher during Shevardnadze, but there has never been such low professional standards in judges as now. I did not attend today’s process intentionally, because I’d have to listen to that absurd theater performance.”
Okruashvili also commented on the actions carried out by the opposition:
“Our society is divided into certain segments. We cannot dislike everyone’s taste: some want more radical steps, others want a softer approach. One thing is clear: the decision of the opposition to start a boycott and not enter Parliament worked quite well. The government was damaged by this despite those who might disagree,” Okruashvili said.
