Kavelashvili Offers to Pardon Convicted Politicians Who Agree to Join
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, July 7, 2025
Mikheil Kavelashvili has announced that he is willing to pardon imprisoned opposition leaders if they apply for clemency and confirm their intention to participate in the October 4 local self-government elections. The offer was made in a Facebook post on July 5, just three months ahead of the elections in which mayors and municipal councils will be elected across 64 municipalities in Georgia.
Kavelashvili emphasized the importance of full participation by all political parties, noting that an inclusive and competitive election campaign would serve the interests of democracy. "It is important that all political parties registered in accordance with Georgian law and expressing a desire to participate be given the opportunity to do so fully," he wrote.
Addressing the issue of several opposition leaders currently serving prison sentences, Kavelashvili added: "Given these circumstances, I suggest that all relevant convicted politicians apply to me for pardon and confirm their desire to participate in the elections with the same application. In the event of such an application, I will immediately issue an act on pardoning the relevant convicts."
The statement comes amid heightened political tensions following the July 4 announcement by the Lelo - Strong Georgia coalition that it will take part in the elections, a move that has caused internal party splits and criticism from other opposition groups.
Responding to criticism of the president's pardon offer, Georgian Dream MP Irakli Zarkua questioned the logic of opposition leaders who dismiss the proposal as illegitimate. "If they reject Kavelashvili's statement on the basis of legitimacy, then excuse me, do they even know who calls the local elections? It's the President," Zarkua said.
He further argued that questioning the legitimacy of the president while accepting the legitimacy of the Central Election Commission and the elections it administers is contradictory. "They're confused. It's not just that they're lost in translation - the radicals are lost in their actions," he said.
The offer of pardons has been widely interpreted as a political maneuver aimed at drawing opposition parties into the electoral process, which many have pledged to boycott amid allegations of political repression and authoritarianism by the ruling Georgian Dream government.
Several leaders from the Lelo - Strong Georgia coalition remain imprisoned after refusing to comply with summonses from the Tsulukiani Commission, a controversial parliamentary body investigating alleged misconduct by former officials. Despite their incarceration, the coalition declared its intention to run in the October elections, framing participation as a form of resistance against the ruling party's hold on power.
