Pardoning Saakashvili will affect president’s image – Kaladze

Tbilisi mayor and the ruling Georgian Dream party official, Kakha Kaladze on Tuesday said if president Salome Zourabichvili pardoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, the move would damage her image. 

“It is up to the president. However, if she takes this decision, I am sure it will be very hard for her personally and her career. It will be the hardest decision,” Kaladze said. 

He stated that claims over “utterly complicated” health of Saakashvili were not true. 

In her previous comments Zourabichvili said she had no plans to pardon Saakashvili, who is now serving her six-year-term for abuse of power while in office, pointing to a “number of human rights violations” under Saakashvili’s rule.

She also said as three trials were still pending over Saakashvili, she had no right to issue pardon.