President pardons 5 for Christmas, convicted archpriest remains in prison
The president pardoned inmates in line with newly adopted pardon procedures and regulations. Photo: President’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned five inmates for Christmas, with convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze not on the list.
It is the first pardon act issued by the president after she declared a moratorium on pardoning prisoners in September 2019, following a turmoil surrounding two pardons of inmates convicted for premeditated murder.
The five inmates were pardoned in line with new pardon rules and procedures adopted during the moratorium, Zurabishvili has stated earlier today.
Zurabishvili said that there were “no grounds” to pardon the archpriest, “especially in the situation when pardon rules have become stricter.”
The Holy Synod of the Patriarchate requested the pardon of Mamaladze in the autumn of 2019.
The family of Mamaladze says that the president “has failed to resist pressure exercised by the church and Patriarch Ilia II, who do not want to see father Giorgi out of prison.”
The First female President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has issued her first pardon decree and has pardoned three female inmates.
A Holy Synod meeting earlier today has ended with the decision to dismiss Chkondidi Metropolitan Petre from the post and request the release of convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has declared a moratorium on pardoning prisoners until all rules and procedures are clarified. In doing so Zurabishvili is responding to recent turmoil surrounding two pardons of inmates convicted for intentional murder.
Ruling Georgian Dream party members say that legal changes are needed to specify all the procedures and preconditions for the presidential pardon of inmates.
The statements come after two scandalous pardons by President Salome Zurabishvili, one when she pardoned a man who was sentenced for the murder of a police officer and another, which took place two weeks ago, when a man also convicted for murder was pardoned.
Brother of convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze has announced he and his family will begin releasing evidence of crimes against top Georgian clerics following a refusal to give amnesty by the president.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria who visited convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze in prison hospital yesterday said the latter has made a decision to temporarily stop his hunger strike due to health problems.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has issued a pardon decree on the occasion of Annunciation holiday, releasing nine female prisoners. All the pardoned women have one or more minor children, and they did not commit violent crimes.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned eight inmates earlier today, on St.George’s Day.
Georgia's president Salome Zurabishvili has issued pardons for 14 inmates, nine of which are set to be released on Friday, ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations.
Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze, who was convicted in 2017 of plotting the murder of a high-ranking clergy member of the Georgian Orthodox Church, was released on parole on Wednesday.