Kavelashvili pardoned two opposition politicians

The President of Georgia announced the pardon of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze after the Lelo - Strong Georgia coalition they led agreed to participate in the municipal elections.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, on June 23, a court in Tbilisi sentenced Mamuka Khazaradze, a representative of the leadership of the Strong Georgia and Lelo party, and one of the leaders of Lelo, Badri Japaridze, to eight months in prison for failing to appear when summoned by the parliamentary investigative commission.

The President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili announced the pardon of Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, who were serving sentences for failing to appear at a meeting of the parliamentary commission, reports today "Novosti-Gruzia".

I hope that in the future they will continue their political activities

"I have decided to pardon two convicted persons - Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze. I hope that in the future they will continue their political activities in accordance with the law," the president said.

He explained his decision by the desire "to leave no one with a reason to talk about limited competitiveness" in the municipal elections scheduled for October 4. At the same time, Kavelashvili emphasized that the oppositionists themselves did not approach him with requests for pardon, the publication writes.

12:38 04.09.2025

The main thing about the persecution of protesters in Georgia

According to the Georgian Young Lawyers Association GYLA, 64 people are being prosecuted in criminal cases related to the protests. In early April 2025, the Ombudsman of Georgia pointed out in his annual report the large-scale increase in human rights violations during protests in Georgia.

Recall that eight opposition parties announced a boycott of the municipal elections scheduled for October. On July 4, Mikheil Kavelashvili announced that he was ready to pardon the opposition leaders convicted of failing to appear at a meeting of the parliamentary commission in exchange for their participation in the municipal elections.

After this, the Lelo - Strong Georgia coalition announced its participation in the municipal elections. Other opposition members considered this decision a betrayal, suggesting that the coalition wants to take advantage of Kavelashvili's offer to pardon the convicted.

The criminal case on failure to appear at parliamentary commission meetings has become an episode of repression against politicians who are undesirable to the authorities, opposition representatives said earlier.

In February, a parliamentary commission began work in Georgia to study the "crimes of the regime" of Mikheil Saakashvili in 2003-2012. The commission intends to prove that the "Five-Day War" in 2008 was initiated by the third president of Georgia.

The criminal prosecution of opposition politicians is taking place against the backdrop of protests that have been taking place in Tbilisi since November 28, 2024. Activists are holding daily protests outside the Georgian parliament and blocking Rustaveli Avenue. They are demanding the release of arrested supporters of European integration and the appointment of new parliamentary elections.

The "Caucasian Knot" has collected materials about the parliamentary elections and the protests that followed on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".