President signs pardon of activist sentenced for throwing Molotov cocktails at police in 2023

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday signed the act of pardon of Lazare Grigoriadis, a 21-year-old activist who was sentenced to nine years in prison for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at police officers and setting fire to a police vehicle during March 2023 protests in Tbilisi against a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence.

Zourabichvili in mid-April said her “conscience” had “guided her” to conclude that “this young man should not face a nine-year sentence”.

Local media said Grigoriadis would probably leave the penitentiary facility today.

Earlier today, the resolution part of the verdict was delivered to the defence by the court.