President pardons prisoners
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, October 28
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili issued an act of pardoning, according to which the President granted amnesty to 168 inmates.
According to the head of the Pardoning Commission, Zviad Koridze, there are six women among those pardoned.
“A total of 114 out of 168 inmates will leave the prisons today, while the sentences of the others 54 will be reduced,” stated Koridze.
The head of the Pardoning Commission stated that the President believes these amnestied inmates should have an opportunity to start new lives.
The current decision was made during 15-18 October meetings of the Pardoning Commission. In total, the cases of 1095 inmates were discussed.
The President is the only person authorized to pardon inmates in Georgia. He makes the final decision on which inmates can be pardoned after discussions with the President’s Pardon Commission.
The President’s Pardon Commission is composed of ten people including Koridze. The Commission members are mainly lawyers from the civil sector, public figures, the Public Defender and a representative from Georgia’s Patriarchate.
The Commission discusses all cases sent to the Pardon Commission by inmates or their families and decides which prisoners they believe deserve to be pardoned. The list is then sent to the President for approval.
