Georgian President pardons protester, sentenced for opposing “Agents’ Law”

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has pardoned Giorgi Shanidze, a protester involved in demonstrations against the controversial Foreign Influence Transparency Law, who was sentenced to 4 years in prison.

The presidential decree, issued on September 20, fully releases Shanidze from serving the remainder of his prison sentence.

The official statement from the President’s administration confirmed that one convicted individual had been pardoned but did not specify the name. However, it was later revealed that Shanidze is the person granted clemency. He was released the same day the decree was issued, much to the surprise of his family and supporters.

“First of all, thank you. It was very unexpected. I’m still in shock… If it were not for the political situation, I would likely have been given probation or a fine. Because I support the opposition, I was sentenced to four years… I expected the pardon…The President’s decision is the right one and stands on the right side of history,” Shanidze told TV Pirveli in an interview after his release.

Giorgi Shanidze was sentenced to four years in prison by Judge Mikheil Jinjaradze of the Tbilisi City Court on September 16. The court convicted Shanidze for resisting law enforcement during protests against the “Agents’ Law,” a piece of legislation that sparked widespread opposition and demonstrations in Georgia. Supporters of Shanidze claimed that his sentence was politically motivated.