Female Prisoner Pardoned to Participate in Talent Show

In a first, the Georgian government pardoned a female prisoner live during a talent show.

Teona Kolbaia, who was convicted for robbery, participated in the Voice of Georgia, a popular talent show.

She was released by the Prison Minister during the live show and awarded with a car.

Kolbaia, an inmate at the 5th Rustavi female prison facility, was initially allowed to participate in the casting several months ago and subsequent rounds.

In prison, she started singing lessons for other inmates, including those from Tbilisi prisons.

During the live show on Tuesday, Kolbaia performed the song Kyrie Eleison, written by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. Subsequently, Minister of Corrections Kakha Kakhishvili appeared on stage and announced that the government decided to pardon Kolbaia.

“The guards will not drive you back to take your personal objects from prison. We will give you a car which will help you,” the minister told her.Kakhishvili added that he wished more people could to return to their families.

The police arrested Kolbaia on May 5th 2012 on robbery charges. Kolbaia and her partner Temur Batsashvili had taken taxi's to deserted places where they forced the drivers gunpoint to hand over their possessions. The arrest resulted in Kolbaia's second conviction.