President pardons 175 prisoners
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, December 28
President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has issued an act of pardoning, according to which the President granted amnesty to 175 inmates.
According to the head of the Pardoning Commission, Zviad Koridze, there are 6 women among those pardoned.
“A total of 122 out of 168 inmates will leave prisons today, while the sentences of the others 53 will be reduced,” stated Koridze.
Moreover, Koridze said that among the pardoned prisoners 14 are women, 12 of them will leave prisons now, while the sentences of two others have been reduced.
The head of the Pardoning Commission stated that the President believes these amnestied inmates should have the opportunity to start new lives.
The current decision was made during 13-20 December meetings of the Pardoning Commission. In total, the cases of 1142 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.
