President pardons co-founder of Mtavari TV Rurua as opposition enters parliament
President Salome Zurabishvili promised to pardon the co-founder of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Rurua on April 19. Photo: president’s press office.
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned the co-founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel Giorgi Rurua shortly after opposition MPs took up their mandates earlier today, in line with the EU-mediated agreement.
Zurabishvili wrote on her Facebook page that she ‘kept her promise’ and pardoned Rurua to support the implementation process of the EU-mediated agreement which was signed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and majority of opposition parties on April 19 to resolve the political tension in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
Zurabishvili tweeted last week.
Pardon is not a political decision. It must not be subject to interference, pressure or negotiations.
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 19, 2021
But I take upon myself the duty to end the deadlock. I will pardon, but only once the parties sign the final agreement and the EU/US announce that an agreement has been reached.
54 of 60 opposition MPs from six of eight opposition parties which won seats in the October 31 parliamentary elections, stated that the elections were fabricated and have been demanding repeat elections since November 2020.
They have also been demanding the release of Rurua who was convicted last year for illegal possession and carrying of firearms and the head of the United National Movement party Nika Melia who was arrested in February 2021 for his refusal to post bail.
Opposition MPs from Lelo, Strategy Agmashenebeli, Republican Party, Girchi -More Freedom, as well as individual MPs from the United National Movement and European Georgia opposition parties Salome Samadashvili and Shalva Shavgulidze signed the EU-mediated agreement on April 19 and took up their mandates earlier today.
Giorgi Rurua, who was found guilty for the illegal possession and carrying of firearms, was sentenced to four years in prison in July, 2020.
The United National Movement opposition party which took a majority (34 of 60) opposition seats in the 150-member parliament in the 2020 elections, European Georgia and Labour Party have not signed the agreement so far and were absent at today’s session.
Samadashvili has stated that ‘Rurua’s release is the first result of the agreement. We are now working for Melia’s release.’
She and other opposition MPs stated that both Rurua and Melia ‘are political prisoners.’
According to the EU-mediated agreement an amnesty bill for convictions stemming from the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi should have been registered today in parliament which would lead to the release of Melia.
However Melia stated yesterday that it is better for him to post the ‘unfair bail’ rather than accept the amnesty for all convicts of June protests.
Opposition MPs who have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party earlier this month have entered parliament earlier today.
Currently imprisoned head of the United National Movement opposition party Nika Melia is ready to post bail and leave prison if parliament will not register the amnesty bill for convictions stemming from the June 2019 protests in Tbilisi, according to the recent EU-mediated agreement between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition.
The US Department of State has urged the remaining opposition parties and individual MPs to sign the EU-mediated agreement to resolve the political tension in Georgia which began after the October 2020 parliamentary elections.
Opposition parties which have signed the EU-mediated agreement with the ruling Georgian Dream party will enter the state legislature on April 27 to submit an amnesty bill. Six Georgian political parties and several individual MPs signed the proposal by the European Council President Charles Michel on April 19 to solve the political tension in Georgia which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections.
The European Union Delegation to Georgia ‘warmly welcomes’ the decisions taken by Georgia’s political leaders in line with the European Council President Charles Michel's proposal aimed to solve the political tension in Georgia. It meanwhile calls on all other elected MPs ‘to join the agreement and contribute to its implementation, in the interest of Georgia, its citizens, EU-Georgia relations and Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future’.
Opposition politicians who signed the EU-mediated agreement on April 19 have called on others to consolidate their efforts and make the ruling party fulfil its obligations. They also call on the opposition politicians who refuse to sign the document to take more responsibility on the current political processes.
Former member of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has stated that he will continue work in the state legislature as an independent MP.
Salome Samadashvili from the United National Movement opposition party, Armaz Akhvlediani and Shavla Shavgulidze who appeared in the 10th convocation of the state legislature through the European Georgia opposition party list, have joined the Lelo opposition party faction in parliament.
Ambassadors of the European Union and the United States Carl Hartzell and Kelly Degnan have sent a joint letter to the civil activists injured during June 20, 2019. Hartzell and Degnan say that as Georgia’s partners, they have worked ‘to help end an extended political crisis emanating from the parliamentary elections 2020.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has issued a pardon decree on the occasion of St. Nino’s day, releasing four female prisoners.