Georgian President pardons 15 inmates, including six Ukrainian citizens
The Presidential Administration said the pardoned inmates, seven of whom are women, would leave the penitentiary institutions on Saturday. Photo: President's press office
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Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has pardoned 15 inmates, including six Ukrainian citizens, on the 33rd anniversary of the April 9 tragedy in Tbilisi.
The Presidential Administration said the pardoned inmates, seven of whom are women, would leave their penitentiary institutions on Saturday.
The decision came on the anniversary of April 9, 1989, when Soviet troops attacked peaceful protesters in Tbilisi, killing 21 and injuring hundreds.
The date has been etched into the minds of Georgian citizens and is remembered as a day of national unity. It is also recognised as a public holiday in Georgia.
April 9 also marks the restoration of Georgia’s independence, as the Georgian legislative body passed the declaration of independence on the date in 1991, based on the results of a referendum on March 31 that year, where an overwhelming majority of Georgians voted for the country to secede from the Soviet Union.
Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili reaffirmed solidarity with Ukraine, saying Georgia supported the country in fight against Russian aggression on March 24, the day marking a month since Russia's initial attack on Ukraine.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said Georgia was “very vulnerable” in the face of the Russian aggression, expressing her hope that the world would pay attention to the country.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has spoken about the importance of unity and expressed support for Ukraine amid the movements of Russian troops in its border in her annual speech in the state legislature earlier today.
Today Georgia remembers the people who lost their lives when Moscow-directed Soviet tanks dispersed a peaceful demonstration demanding independence for Georgia 32 years ago, killing 20 people in the process and injuring hundreds of others.Many of those killed on April 9, 1989 were in between the ages of 16 and 31.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili paid tribute to the victims of the April 9 tragedy on Saturday, marking the 33rd anniversary of the massacre.
On April 9, 1989, the Soviet troops attacked peaceful protesters in Tbilisi, killing 21 people and injuring hundreds.
American, British, German, Lithuanian, Norwegian and Swedish diplomats paid homage to the victims of Georgia’s April 9 tragedy on Saturday, marking the 33rd anniversary since the violent dispersal of a peaceful pro-independence demonstration by Soviet troops in Tbilisi, killing 21 and injuring hundreds of civilians.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili awarded the title of National Hero to late poet Mikha Khelashvili and the Medal of Honour to blind singer Lela Vepkhvadze yesterday.
The current military actions in Ukraine, the situation in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia and the security issues in the Black Sea region were discussed at a meeting between President of Georgia Salome Zurabichvili and a delegation of the European Parliament in Tbilisi on Monday.
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