Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has vetoed the amnesty act recently approved by parliament, Azerbaijani news agency Trend reports.

President Saakashvili, who does not agree with the recognition of 200 people as political prisoners in the country, said at a meeting with youths on Thursday that he has no intention to sign the law.

Saakashvili stressed that only a few people were recognized as political prisoners in the world, whereas in Georgia their number is claimed to amount to 200.

"This means that there are more political prisoners in Georgia than in the whole world put together," he said.

Saakashvili is particularly discontent with the fact that spies were included in the list of political prisoners.

"Among them are those who were selling information to our enemies, which caused many deaths, as well as military men who tried to arrange a coup," he said.

Saakashvili also voiced disapproval over the pardoning of all inmates who will see their sentences shortened by one-fourth.

"Pedophiles are among those pardoned. Let them take responsibility for their actions, as I am not going to pardon those people, I cannot accept such an indiscriminate approach," he said.

Saakashvili noted that he did not want to see the crime rate in Georgia rise, which he says will definitely happen due to the approach of the parliamentary majority. The youth met the president's decision with ovations.

MP Davit Saganelidze, representing Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's bloc Georgian Dream, which has a majority in parliament, criticized the president's decision.

"Saakashvili's veto is a whim. We will surely overcome it," Saganelidze said, according to the Russian newspaper Vzglyad.

According to Saganelidze, the amnesty may pardon a few people who do not deserve it, but it does not mean that many others have to suffer.

He also believes that the current number of political prisoners in Georgia is the fault of the Saakashvili government.

Georgia held a parliamentary poll on October 1 with the participation of 14 parties and two political blocs. The opposition coalition Georgian Dream led by Bidzina Ivanishvili won the majority in parliament, taking more seats than President Saakashvili's United National Movement.

Currently there are over 20,000 people in Georgian prisons. 190 people have been declared as political prisoners, including a former official from the Georgian permanent representation to NATO Vakhtang Maisaia and six others implicated in a conspiracy against Georgia in Ajaria, with all of them accused of spying for Russia.

Parliamentary Human Rights Committee head Eka Beselia said in a televised interview that more than 3,000 prisoners could be immediately set free after the president's signature, while the jail terms of others would be reduced by at least a quarter.

"We want to be more fair and humane," she said. "Firstly, those who were recognized as political prisoners will be released."

The law "On amnesty" was adopted by the Georgian parliament on December 21. The extensive list of those to be pardoned includes the perpetrators of grave crimes as well.

Saakashvili used veto power to block passage of the amnesty law. The majority in the Georgian parliament is now trying to overcome the presidential veto. According to the legislation, 89 votes are needed to override the veto.