Margvelashvili Pardons Prisoners, Ex-Interior Minister isn’t Among Them
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, October 26
Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who is ending his presidential career this month, pardoned 57 inmates on Thursday. Former Georgian Interior and Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili and other former officials who are now in prison, are not in the list, as the opposition wanted this.
Margvelashvili may make another pardon as Georgian presidents have the right to pardon inmates until the inauguration of a new president.
This time 30 inmates have been released, while remaining 27 have seen their prison terms commuted.
The Pardon Commission discussed 575 cases between 22 and 24 October and sent its recommendations to the president, who is the only authorized person in Georgia to pardon prisoners.
The President’s Pardon Commission is composed of ten people, mostly lawyers from the civil sector, public figures, the Public Defender and a clergyman.
The commission must discuss all cases sent to the Pardon Commission by inmates or their families and decide which prisoners they believe deserve to be pardoned. The list then is sent to the president.
Margvelashvili pardoned 831 prisoners in 2017. Out of the pardoned people 539 were released immediately, while the remaining 291 saw their sentence terms commuted.
Of the 539 people released, 37 were women and two minors, while nine females and four minors have seen their prison terms commuted.
Merabishvili, one of the most influential figures of the United National Movement, was detained in 2013 and sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 for abuse of power, misspending of budget funds and bribing voters.
In September 2016 Merabishvili was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for charges related to the beating of opposition lawmaker Valeri Gelashvili in 2005.
