13 March 2009, 23:40
Oppositional Georgian MPs quit the Pardon Commission
The oppositional MPs of Georgia Georgiy Tsagareishvili and Roman Mersagishvili have quitted the Pardon Commission under the President of Georgia, having stated that they were revolted by Saakashvili's decision to pardon the four policemen guilty of death of Sandro Girgvliani, a bank employee.
We remind you that Sandro Girgvliani was killed on January 27, 2006, as a result of a conflict in the caf?-bar "Sharden". The murder caused huge resonance in Georgia, in its context, the opposition demanded dismissal of Vano Merabishvili, the then Interior Minister. When the authorities of Georgia satisfied the demand of the opposition, the parliamentary opposition boycotted the sessions of the Parliament for 6 months.
The convicts were sentenced to 4-5 years in prison. Now, under the President's order, these terms were halved. As a result, they will be at large in the nearest months, as the "Interfax" reports.
"There's no sense to remain in the Pardon Commission, as we aren't going to create a 'democracy shield' for the President," said Mr Tsagareishvili. According to his story, "the President's decision to pardon gunmen from the police is shameful."
Georgiy Tsagareishvili has also stated that Dmitri Shashkin, Minister for Punishment Enforcement, Probation and Legal Aid, lies by asserting that the former high-ranking MIA officers, convicted for murdering Sandro Girgvliani, were pardoned under the recommendation of the Commission.
The oppositional members of the Commission assert that President has already pardoned more than 300 prisoners without any Commission's knowledge.
Let us note here that Elena Tevdoradze, Chair of the Pardon Commission, was also indignant with the fact of pardoning the convicts in Girgvliani's case.
