The Tbilisi Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday to uphold a lower court ruling on a preliminary restrictive measure for parliamentarian Nikanor Melia charged with organizing the June 20 riots, whose arrest the prosecutors are seeking.

The Tbilisi City Court ruled on June 27 to decline the prosecutors' request for arresting Melia. The court instead granted him bail of 30,000 lari (about $10,500) and ordered his de facto house arrest, so that, in line with the judge's decision, he cannot leave his home without permission from prosecutors and make public statements.

The Court of Appeals ruled that Melia must wear a wrist monitor tracking his movements.

The Tbilisi City Court is scheduled to start hearing the case against him on August 16.

The parliament decided last week to temporarily deprive him of parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

It was reported earlier that Melia, a member of the opposition United National Movement, had been charged with organizing and participating in riots in Tbilisi on June 20, when a large crowd of demonstrators tried to break through a police cordon to the parliamentary complex.