Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the "Coalition for Change," has released a letter from prison, which was published on his personal social media account.

In the letter, Nika Melia explains why he has not been writing from prison, and he also discusses the October 4 rally, the elections, and the struggle that began after the "rigged elections" of October 26, 2024.

He also expresses gratitude to the people for whom October 4 was not the end, and who, "despite the regime’s threats and the germ of nihilism," responded by saying, "We stand here until victory."

According to him, "there is no final battle, only a battle to the end."

"Hello everyone! I have deliberately and practically refrained from writing from prison because frequent writing would force me to be extremely critical of certain entities, which I do not wish to do from here, nor will I.

Just as I find it unacceptable to criticize someone from prison, it is equally inappropriate to point out anyone’s shortcomings from here. Therefore, I refrain from expressing opinions about 'Lelo' or Gakharia’s party.

However, I must now write a few lines about the organizers of the October 4 rally and the patriotic people who attended it.

The organizers’ only promise was to defeat Bidzina [Ivanishvili] on October 4 itself. Therefore, those who attended the rally with such an announcement/poster should probably not criticize the organizers, especially after the fact. It is commendable that the majority, considering the context, are holding back.

For me, those who criticized the rally’s grandiose and fantastical promise from the outset are more commendable, unlike those who stayed silent, thinking, 'Let’s see what happens on the 4th before we criticize.' Yet now, they are among the harshest critics.

If the organizers had done nothing on the 4th, a significant portion of the people would have thrown bottles at them, saying, 'There were almost 100,000 of us, why did you disperse us?' The protest community is not short of such people! The organizers mistakenly believed that on the 4th, the people would rise up and take greater risks than merely attending the rally and peacefully protesting in the streets.

In short, I want to say many things but will hold back. I will only add one thing at the end, which I believe is an undeniable truth:

An announced, publicized revolution will never happen. Unfortunately, for years, many like-minded people have not suffered from a lack of imagination. If a revolution happens, it will only happen unexpectedly, without anyone being able to predict it even hours in advance.

We are in a long-term struggle, so every miscalculated step, every rush, and every haste will only weaken the changes. The sooner we align with reality, the faster victory will come.

The organizers responded to the demand of the most active part of the protest community, which is often unnaturally portrayed as the majority within the protest community. Therefore, don’t be too quick to condemn the organizers. A venture started with the hope of accidental success, without considering real forces and conditions, is commissioned by some and carried out by others. There are such commissioners among the people, and I am writing this exceptional letter for them, stating an unpopular truth: the organizers’ only plan on the 4th was their self-sacrifice, which failed to gain the support of 98% of the people who attended the rally and will not gain it in the future. It’s time to recognize the mood and attitude of the absolute majority of our protest community. If we all manage to do this, the protest will be far more successful, and most importantly, it will yield results. However, we are in a reality where the process is no less important than the result.

By process, I mean the struggle that began after the rigged elections of October 26, which achieved many successes, endured many difficulties, made the regime illegitimate in the eyes of the international community, and, most importantly, withstood the great challenge of the so-called local elections on October 4, which could have become the basis for the regime’s legitimation. But thanks to the steadfastness of the protest electorate in their decision, the so-called elections became yet another confirmation of the regime’s illegitimacy.

And if I want to thank anyone for their resilience, for the right fight, for their principled stance, it is the people for whom October 4 was not the end, who showed up on the 5th, and despite the regime’s threats and the germ of nihilism, gave the answer: 'We stand here until victory.' There is no final battle, only a battle to the end," the letter states.