Declaration of Moratorium on pardoning on part of President is irresponsibility – Elene Khoshtaria, MP of European Georgia Party said.

According to Khoshtaria, the main problem was not in the pardoning system itself and the signs of corruption or nepotism might not exist either.

Khoshtaria said that she had expected President to provide arguments about pardoning of a prisoner convicted for the murder but instead President suspended the process of pardoning.

“President can pardon any person but why does she have to pardon a person and inflict pain to another family who lost a beloved person?” Khoshtaria inquired. She also urged for leading an investigation into the matter to determine the interest of any possible persons and hold the president responsible afterward.

President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili declared a moratorium on Pardoning of convicts today.

Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned Aslan Bezhanidze, a person convicted for the murder committed in 2004. Bezhanidze was detained in 2016. He was wanted for 12 years. Bezhanidze was acquitted based on the decisions of Tbilisi City and Appeals Court. The Supreme Court found Bezhanidze guilty and imposed imprisonment with a term of 6 years and 9 months.

Bezhanidze was released from the penitentiary facility on August 28, Virgin Mary Day. President pardoned 34 prisoners in connection with Virgin Mary Day including a convict charged for the murder of a police officer.