TBILISI – Georgia’s President Mikheil Kavelashvili on Friday pardoned two jailed opposition figures, citing the need to preserve competitiveness ahead of municipal elections next month.
Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, founders of the pro-European Lelo for Georgia party, had been sentenced in June to eight months in prison for refusing to testify before lawmakers. Their pardon restores political rights, allowing them to contest the October 4 vote.
“I made the decision so that no one can claim the elections are held with limited competitiveness,” Kavelashvili said in a Facebook post, expressing hope the two would “respect the law” as they resume political life.
The move comes amid ongoing protests and disputes over last year’s contested parliamentary elections, with opposition parties accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of fraud, allegations backed by U.S. pollsters citing irregularities.
The pardon underscores Georgia’s fragile political climate, where opposition ranks remain split between boycotts and participation, as the country weighs its democratic future and stalled European Union ambitions.