Before the parliamentary elections, the ruling party Georgian Dream plans to announce an amnesty. Today, during his annual report to Parliament, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the amnesty law will be introduced in the coming days and its adoption will "make a significant contribution" to reducing the number of prisoners.

"A list of relevant articles and clauses from the Criminal Code of Georgia, which may relate to the release of individuals under the amnesty rule, has already been compiled. We plan to introduce the corresponding bill in the coming days, possibly convening an extraordinary session in July for discussions. It is anticipated that the draft law will undergo its first reading in July, with the aim of completing the adoption of the amnesty law in three readings by September," stated Irakli Kobakhidze in response to a question posed by Herman Szabó, a member of Girchi.

Currently, there are approximately 10 000 prisoners in penitentiary institutions, which Kobakhidze acknowledged as suboptimal data.

"It is crucial to significantly reduce the prison population in the near future to align with optimal European standards. We aim to reduce the number of prisoners by at least one-third, and we believe that the prepared amnesty law will play a substantial role in achieving this objective," emphasized the Prime Minister.

Irakli Kobakhidze also assured members of Girchi that their perspectives would be carefully considered during the discussions on the amnesty law.

The parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 26.

Georgian News
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