President Zurabishvili to pardon inmates on Orthodox Christmas in January
After being elected as president Salome Zurabishvili banned the activity of a 11-member Pardon Commission, which was earlier responsible for discussing the cases of inmates requesting the presidential pardon. Photo: President's press office
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili will issue a pardon decree on Orthodox Christmas on January 7 after a several-month moratorium on acts of amnesty.
Zurabishvili earlier declared a moratorium on pardoning prisoners in September, following turmoil surrounding the pardon of inmates convicted for premeditated homicide
After being elected president, Zurabishvili shut down the activity of the 11-member Pardon Commission, which was earlier responsible for discussing the cases of inmates requesting presidential pardon.
Instead President Zurabishvili proposed changes to the rules of pardoning and called for the active involvement of the Ministry of Justice.
Zurabishvili refused to name the people who helped her make decisions regarding the recent pardons in the absence of the commission, stating that “it is not my style to shift blame onto others.”