President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has pardoned 155 prisoners; 105 of them will be released from prison today, while the remaining 50 will have their prison terms decreased.
Head of the President’s Pardon Commission Zviad Koridze announced this morning that from the 105 inmates to walk free today, eight were women.
Koridze said the Pardon Commission discussed 1,178 cases and appealed to the President to pardon the people sentenced for both light and heavy crimes, but excluding those who were arrested for premeditated murder.
The President is only authorised person 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 are tasked to discuss the cases sent to the Commission by certain inmates or their families and write down a list of prisoners they believe who deserve to be pardoned.
The President makes final decision whether to pardon the inmates or not.