Georgian citizen pardoned by South Ossetian De-facto President

A Georgian citizen, sentenced to 13 years imprisonment was pardoned of his crimes after the De-facto President of South Ossetia Leonid Tibilov signed an Act of Pardon.

A former Georgian High Official, Teimuraz Jerapov was arrested in November 2010 and found guilty for attempting to seize and gain control of power in South Ossetia, breakaway region of Georgia. He was a former member of Tbilisi-based provisional administration of South Ossetia.  

Jerapov was transferred to Georgian representatives in the village of Ergneti, which is situated near the occupation line.

According to Ossetian High Official Murat Dzhioyev, the Act of Pardon was a humane step and would promote an exchange of prisoners between Georgia and South Ossetia.

"In the framework of Geneva Discussions, the South Ossetia raised a question on the prisoners release and change between Georgia and South Ossetia, however the understanding from Georgia isn't present, he said.

"We repeatedly suggested to release citizens of South Ossetia who are in prisons of Georgia, and, respectively, to release the Georgian citizens who are in prisons of South Ossetia.

Last summer, the Georgian Government released South Ossetian resident Marek Dudaev. Dudaev was arrested in 2004 by Georgian police andfound guilty of murder and banditry. He was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment.