Opposition Demands Timely Release of 'Political Prisoners'

Opposition leaders gathered in the Labor Party office on March 9 issued a joint statement, saying that despite finding a compromise on the electoral system, the authorities and opposition continue to disagree on the political status of those arrested on June 20 and subsequent political processes.

Opposition parties urge the President and all state institutions to use legitimate tools at their disposal to ensure that Giorgi Rurua, Gigi Ugulava, Besik Tamliani and Irakli Okruashvili are released from prison on time.

“The opposition, of course, considers them to be political prisoners. The authorities do not acknowledge this, but the parties agreed in a joint document that resolving these issues in a way that no political group has the feeling that justice is being used for political purposes is key to defusing the situation. It is important for Georgia to comply with this agreement, no matter what the differences are between the government and the opposition. We call on the President and all state institutions to help resolve this issue quickly by using legitimate tools at their disposal so that Giorgi Rurua, Gigi Ugulava, Besik Tamliani and Irakli Okruashvili are released from prison on time,” reads the statement. 

In turn, representatives of the ruling party Georgian Dream call the above statement by the leaders of the united opposition a "lie," claiming that the agreement reached between the government and opposition does not include the release of Gigi Ugulava, Irakli Okruashvili, Giorgi Rurua, and Besik Tamliani.

By Ana Dumbadze 

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