The Ukrainian Rada on Thursday awarded Nika Gvaramia, a recently pardoned head of the Georgian opposition-minded Mtavari channel, with the medal for the service to the Ukrainian people. 

Gvaramia, the former official in the United National Movement Government, has become the first Georgian citizen to receive the award, David Arakhamia, the Ukrainian MP of Georgian origin said on Thursday.  

“I congratulate Gvaramia on the well-deserved award! He is the first citizen of Georgia who received the only award of the Rada - the medal for service to the Ukrainian people," Arakhamia said, adding “we very rarely and only on special occasions give this award to the citizens of a foreign country. Nika's fight against Russia, his attitude towards the Ukrainian people and his contribution to the fight for the freedom of Ukraine are just such a special case and the award is well-deserved”. 

Gvaramia, who was convicted last year for abuse of power while chairing the domestic Rustavi 2 TV channel, was in June pardoned by President Salome Zourabichvili. 

Both Gvaramia and Arakhamia have been many times slammed by the current Georgian Dream authorities for their alleged affiliation with the “radical UNM party”, and “attempts” to “drag Georgia” into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.