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.
Opposition parties accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of endangering the March 8 election agreement ‘once again’ as Tbilisi City court denied bail to the co-founder of opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua earlier today.
Foreign ambassadors in Georgia, who have been facilitating the political dialogue between the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition over the 2020 parliamentary election model, welcomed President Salome Zurabishvili’s decision to pardon opposition politicians Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced today that she is pardoning Georgian opposition politicians Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili, which she said was ‘a very difficult decision’. Salome Zurabishvili said 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 is pardoning them for the sake of 'the country’s interests’.
Foreign ambassadors in Georgia, who have been working as facilitators in the dialogue between the government and opposition on 2020 election model, on Monday responded to calls to confirm contents of the March 8 agreement between the two parties by calling on them to "uphold" the deal.
MEPs have praised Georgia’s ‘very effective’ response to COVID-19 and have welcomed the recent pardon of Georgian opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okrushvili during today’s discussion of the annual implementation report of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the recent pardon of opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili and stated that it is unacceptable for him that ‘so-called politicians, who committed serious crimes, were pardoned only because they are in politics.’ “It is unacceptable for me that the person who was trying to break into the parliament building on June 20 (referring to Irakli Okruashvili) and the person who stole 50 million GEL from the state budget (referring to Gigi Ugulava) were pardoned only because they are politicians, so-called politicians,” Gakharia said.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili says that Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze and the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili were informed of her decision to pardon opposition leaders Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili.
Tbilisi City Court has once again refused bail for the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua, who has been charged with the illegal possession of firearms.
The European People’s Party (EPP) is concerned that the co-founder of Georgian opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua remains in prison, the president of the party and former head of the European Council Donald Tusk said.