Authorities decide which inmates to pardon including notorious cases

State Pardon Commission representatives have gathered at the former Presidents Palace to discuss which Georgian prisoners will be pardoned.

The Commission trawled through more than 200 inmate applications for pardon, including notorious cases that took place during the previous government.

One well-known case involved Davit Kekutia, who was imprisoned after being charged with a terroristic act. It has been revealed a witness confessed that he was interrogated under pressure by former high officials.

The Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said this case should be discussed by the State Pardon Commission. Nanuashvili is also a member of the Pardon Commission.

Head of the Commission Alexander Elisashvili said more than 1000 applications were sent to the Commission but only 250 fit the criteria. Women and underage inmates also penned some of the applications, he said.

The list of pardoned prisoners is due to be sent to the President of Georgia, Giorgi Margvelashvili this evening.

The prisoners will be pardoned in time to celebrate Epiphany with their families, on January 19.

Elisashvili hoped that the next stage of pardons, scheduled for March 3, will be accomplished under the new regulations.

"We will also discuss the cases of several prisoners who are victims of the previous government. And those cases are trumped-up cases indeed. We want to overview these cases, Elisashvili said.

According to the Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, the majority of the discussed cases were regarding to drugs.