Georgian president issues pardon, nine women released from prison
All the nine prisoners will leave the penitentiary facility today. Photo: President's press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has issued a pardon decree on the occasion of Annunciation holiday, releasing nine female prisoners.
All the pardoned women have one or more minor children, and they did not commit violent crimes.
All the nine prisoners will leave the penitentiary facility today.
Orthodox churches around Georgia are celebrating the holy day of Annunciation today.
The Annunciation is a Christian celebration marking the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive and be the mother of Jesus Christ.
The Annunciation is one of the most important days in the Christian religious calendar.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned five inmates for Christmas, with convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze not on the list. It is the first pardon act issued by the president after she declared a moratorium on pardoning prisoners in September 2019, following a turmoil surrounding two pardons of inmates convicted for murder.
The First female President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has issued her first pardon decree and has pardoned three female inmates.
Ruling Georgian Dream party members say that legal changes are needed to specify all the procedures and preconditions for the presidential pardon of inmates.
The statements come after two scandalous pardons by President Salome Zurabishvili, one when she pardoned a man who was sentenced for the murder of a police officer and another, which took place two weeks ago, when a man also convicted for murder was pardoned.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned 34 individuals, including one minor and eight women on the Day of the Virgin Mary today. As of today, President Zurabishvili has pardoned a total of 97 individuals since December 17, 2018.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned eight inmates earlier today, on St.George’s Day.