The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, has signed the “Amnesty Law,” though she expressed concerns that its timing—coming just ahead of parliamentary elections—could be perceived as an indirect form of voter bribery initiated by the ruling party.
In a statement, President Zurabishvili acknowledged that while the amnesty law might serve as a strategic tool for political advantage, she ultimately signed it in consideration of the many convicts and their families who had long awaited its enactment.
“The adoption of the amnesty law by Parliament, particularly at the behest of the ruling party in the lead-up to parliamentary elections, clearly constitutes a form of indirect voter bribery,” the President remarked.
She emphasized that amnesty is fundamentally a humanitarian measure, and as such, it is more appropriately granted either well before or after an election, to avoid any perception of political manipulation.
“Nonetheless, in light of the expectations of numerous convicts and their families, I have signed the Amnesty Law,” the presidential administration’s statement concluded.
With the law’s enactment, over 1,000 prisoners will be released, and more than 5,000 inmates will benefit from various aspects of the amnesty. The initiative also extends to individuals on probation, affecting approximately 22,000 probationers, with around 7,000 expected to be released from the probation system immediately upon the law’s implementation.
The amnesty applies to crimes specified under Article 300 of the Criminal Code. It stipulates that, for certain offences, victim consent is necessary, with clearly defined terms and procedures. Additionally, individuals must have no prior convictions for intentional crimes to qualify for amnesty in specific cases.
Provisions of the amnesty include full exemption from criminal responsibility and punishment, as well as sentence reductions of one-half, one-quarter, and one-sixth. Probation terms will also be shortened by one year for eligible probationers.
The bill does not extend to individuals convicted of serious offences, including murder, drug trafficking, sexual crimes, robbery, terrorism, corruption, organized crime, and other grave violations.
Related story: Georgian Parliament approves Amnesty Bill in final vote
