“We do not expect large-scale pardoning,” said Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the United National Movement (UNM) party.

According to Pavlenishvili, when pardoning is announced, family members expect that this act will extend to their relatives.

“I believe it is immoral to make family members wait every day for prisoners to be released when a pardon is granted. I have said many times that there is no expectation of a fundamental, large-scale pardon. I cannot predict a few people’s pardoning as a tactical manoeuvre. Family members, who arrived at prison, said that they had no expectation, but naturally, when you have a family member in prison and expect pardoning, everyone in Georgia and not only mothers of political prisoners, thinks that pardoning may extend to their children and family members.

There is no readiness for any fundamental change in the country, and by change from the ‘Dream’ side, I mean resolving the crisis. Everybody admits that there is a crisis in the country. It is impossible for a country not be in crisis when in such isolation, having so many prisoners and a divided society, and  I acknowledge that Ivanishvili does not intend to release prisoners, which is one of the key components for crisis resolution,” he said.

Responding to the question of why prisoners do not apply to the President for a pardon, Irakli Panvenishvili stated that prisoners have committed nothing to be pardoned.

“They have committed nothing. Rezo Kiknadze, who is accused of throwing paper at the rally, does not have the moral ability to ask for pardon and adheres to an uncompromising position like others. I don’t want to list specific people. These are some prisoners who have not actually done anything wrong, sit in prison for no reason, and have nothing to request a pardon. This is their decision, and I don’t think we, the people outside, should be their moral judges. All we can say is that their uncompromising attitude is exemplary,” he said.

Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili pardoned 159 convicted persons on the occasion of the Epiphany, January 19.