Nika Melia sentenced to 18 months in prison for contempt of court

Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change, on Thursday was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to one year and six months in prison.

However, the court ruled that the sentence would be absorbed into a previously imposed prison term, meaning he is still expected to be released in December 2026.

Melia was charged with contempt of court for verbally insulting Judge Tornike Kochkian of the Administrative Cases Chamber.

He was prosecuted under Part 2 of Article 366 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which defines contempt of court expressed through the insult of a judge as a criminal offence and carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison.