Pardoned Opposition Leaders Leave Penitentiary Facility

Two leaders of the opposition, former Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava and former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili, pardoned by the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili earlier this evening, have just left the penitentiary facility.

While commenting on their release with media representatives, both of them thanked the President for her Pardon Act and noted that they were detained on a political basis. 

Ugulava and Okruashvili plan to return to active politics and, in their words, "Continue the fight for democracy, freedom and justice."

Georgian  President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned two leaders of the opposition, making the relevant statement at the special briefing on Friday evening. 

"I have decided to issue the Pardon Act to Ugulava and Okruashvili. Before their pardon comes into force, I would like to address the public, since my decision today will not be easy to understand and they may not even forgive me," the President said.

In her words, the above decision "Does not mean the release of political prisoners, but it aims to fully restore the democratic image of the country and get rid of the past." 

In recent days, several members of the European Parliament urged Georgian authorities to release "political prisoners." 

By Ana Dumbadze 

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