“The President has not delayed anything. A Pardon Act has been issued, and those pardoned will be released starting this morning in accordance with it. What is so sensational, inhumane, or terrible about this? Why was the Pardon Act issued in the evening, and why will the release of these individuals begin in the morning?” said MP Irakli Kadagishvili, a member of the parliamentary majority.

According to Kadagishvili, speculating about the fate of individuals is the greatest inhumanity.

“The President announced that he would issue a pardon act at Epiphany. The release of those pardoned is scheduled to begin on January 20. What is so inhumane or terrible about this? The issuance of a pardon involves a series of procedures, with relevant state agencies participating. It is not something that happens in an hour. Over a certain period, work is carried out collaboratively through legal processes, and only once this is complete is the act issued,” Kadagishvili explained.

He added that the release process begins a few hours after the pardon is granted, but that today’s situation caused unnecessary fuss.

“This fuss is because, over the past week, certain opposition TV channels and social media outlets have been claiming that these individuals should be released immediately after the act is issued. Throughout this time, propaganda has been ongoing, suggesting that we do not want any pardon, or that even if there is one, we will not accept it from this illegitimate President, and so on. The aim is to foster constant confrontation and tension within society. The families of prisoners are also aware that at least an appeal is needed regarding a pardon.

In reality, when someone truly wishes to be pardoned, the actions are different. They do not expect it, nor have they been asking for it. When prisoners’ families and supporters wish for a pardon, the rhetoric and actions are quite different. Instead, what we have seen is ongoing rhetoric and manoeuvring meant solely to create speculation and a tense environment,” Kadagishvili stated.

He also added that the real goal behind all this was “to manipulate their own prisoners and generate speculative material to damage the government’s image in society.”

“Kavelashvili does not need any validation of legitimacy from anyone. Legitimacy is derived from the Georgian Constitution and the democratic process conducted in accordance with it, as well as from the will of the people. If you understand the meaning of the word ‘pardon’ and review the relevant laws, you will see what is required for a pardon. At the very least, you must know that the person being pardoned must at least want to be pardoned,” added Kadagishvili.

For the record, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili pardoned 159 convicted individuals on the occasion of Epiphany.