An activist sentenced to 9 years after participating in rallies against the law on foreign agents was amnestied in Georgia

Today, activist Lazare Grigoriadis was released following a pardon from the President of Georgia. “The struggle continues, see you at the rallies! Today I will go to a rally!” he commented on his release.

On April 12, Grigoriadis was sentenced to 9 years for causing harm to the health of police officers and destroying state property during last year’s protests against the law on foreign agents. According to the prosecution, during a protest in Tbilisi on March 7, 2023, he twice threw a Molotov cocktail at security forces, as a result of which two law enforcement officers were hospitalized.

On the same day, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili signed a decree pardoning the activist. The country's ruling Georgian Dream party called this decision shameful and anti-state. “She completely betrayed not only our voters, party, people and country, she betrayed our police. She insulted our police. This is a very big shame. With this pardon, Salome Zurabishvili threw a “Molotov cocktail” at the police,” said Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Garibashvili.

This year, protests against the re-initiation of the bill on foreign agents in Tbilisi continue for the ninth day. Thousands of people gather near the parliament building, and the police periodically disperse the crowd. President Salome Zurabishvili regularly opposes the initiative of the ruling party.

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