Georgian president to Polish MEP Anna Fotyga: I did not pardon ‘political prisoners’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned opposition leaders on May 15. Photo: President’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has responded to a MEP from Poland Anna Fotyga that opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili were not ‘political prisoners.’
In her tweet Fotyga welcomed the recent pardon of Ugulava and Okruashvili by the president, stating that Georgia deserves progress.
To be precise, I did not pardon ‘political prisoners’. There are no political prisoners in Georgia. And I would be grateful for this fact to be taken into consideration when commenting on the Georgian situation. https://t.co/JgtKNOhry1
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) May 18, 2020
On May 15 President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned Ugulava and Okruashvili as she said to ‘discharge the situation.’
Zurabishvili stated although she is very well aware of the ‘real actions and crimes’ of the two former officials, Ugulava and Okruashvili, nevertheless, as the president, she was pardoning them for the sake of 'the country’s interests’.
Georgia will hold fair and democratic elections and no one can hinder that”, Zurabishvili stated in her video address earlier today,” Zurabishvili said
The ruling party has called Ugulava and Okruashvili ‘criminals and budget thieves’ and stated that there was no need for the president to pardon them.
Former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, who is currently an opposition European Georgia member was sentenced to three years and two months in prison for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from the Tbilisi Municipal Development Fund while in office.
Former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who currently chairs the opposition party For a Victorious Georgia, was earlier sentenced to five years in prison for participating in group violence during the June 20 rally in front of the parliament of Georgia last year.