Georgia’s President pardons 95 prisoners for Easter

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili has pardoned 95 inmates.

Earlier today head of the Pardon Commission Zviad Koridze announced the prisoners were pardoned ahead of the Orthodox Easter celebration at the end of this week.

Sixty-nine of the 95 pardoned inmates will leave prison later today while the remaining 26 will have their sentences decreased. 

Among those being released today are 10 women including two minors. Two other female inmates and two minors will have their sentences reduced alongside 22 male inmates.

Koridze said the Pardon Commission discussed 597 cases ahead of the Easter pardon. 

The President is only person authorised to pardon inmates in Georgia. 

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 spiritual representative from Georgia’s Patriarchate. 

The group must discuss all cases sent to the Pardon Commission by inmates or their families and decide which prisoners they believe deserved to be pardoned. 

The President makes the final decision to pardon the inmates or not.