Georgian President Pardons Two Opposition Party Leaders

• 6.09.2025, 19:35

Mikhail Kavelashvili explained the decision to release political prisoners by the desire for "competitive elections".

Georgian President Mikhail Kavelashvili on Friday, September 5, pardoned leaders of the "Lelo - Strong Georgia" coalition Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze. The authorities attributed their decision to a desire to hold more competitive municipal elections on October 4 amid the imprisonment of a number of opposition leaders. According to Kavelashvili, "no one should have grounds to say that the elections are being held in non-competitive conditions."

The decision drew criticism from within the opposition. Khazaradze and Japaridze themselves called the pardon a "dirty political act," an attempt at "manipulation" and a means to split the opposition. Representatives of several parties called on Lelo to refuse to participate in the elections, believing that the release is not a gesture of goodwill, but a tool to legitimize the process. They also called on Kavelashvili to pardon all opposition leaders.

The Georgian president had earlier offered opposition prisoners a pardon in return for agreeing to participate in the elections, but officially all of them refused. "Lelo" as well as the "Gakharia - For Georgia" party nominated candidates for the vote. After his release, Khazaradze stated that he had not asked the authorities for a pardon.