Pre-election Promises on Pardons Unfulfilled but Government Reelected Anyway

The National Party made the list of the prisoners they were planning to pardon should they be returned power. However, this was in pre election period. Mamuka Makharadze, one of the convicts from this list who has already been pardoned.

The Human Rights Center obtained the names of 25 prisoners who lodged an application for pardon in the pre election period. The name of Mamuka Makharadze was among them. He is on the list of prisoners from Batumi Prison #3 who were released from May to July 2008. According to this list four more prisoners have been pardoned: Tamaz Abuseridze, Iago Kontselidze, Gia Zakaradze and Khvicha Salukvadze.

According the National Movement Batumi HQ list Mamuka Makharadze, the resident of Flat # 25, 44 Takaishvili Street, Batumi “was tried on March 8th, 2007 for the crime (cheating) prescribed by Parts II and III of Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. He was convicted to 6 year term of prison and fined 2,000 GEL.”

The Human Rights Center requested the Batumi City Court to send a copy of Mamuka Makharadze’s verdict. The Batumi City Court responded: “We would like to inform you that the criminal case #1-913/07 against Mamuka Makharadze for committing a crime prescribed by Parts II and III of the Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia is being assigned to the judge Roin Kakhidze. The verdict on this case has been decided as yet.”

It must be noted that beside the name of every prisoner there was indicate the number of votes the National Movement would receive if this prisoner was released. There was no such indication beside Mamuka Makharadze’s name in the list. There were several convicts with this kind of indication, “If pardoned will support the ruling party by collecting 500 or more votes.”

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi