On the occasion of the feast of Mariamroba (the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary), President of Georgia Mikheil Kavelashvili has pardoned 226 prisoners.
According to the head of state’s administration, the pardon applied to 217 individuals sentenced to imprisonment and six people serving non-custodial sentences, while three individuals had their criminal records expunged.
“The exercise of exclusive constitutional powers by the President of Georgia is based on the principle of humanism and state interests,” the statement reads.
In 2019, the fifth president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, revised the pardoning procedure. The Pardon Commission was abolished, and since then, the case files of convicts have been prepared for the head of state’s review by the relevant specialized department of the presidential administration.
When making a decision, the president is required to take into account the convict’s character, the motive and circumstances of the crime committed, health and family status, age, the portion of the sentence served, conduct and acknowledgment of guilt, as well as the position of the victim and other relevant factors.
