Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili does not intend to sign the law on amnesty, the speaker of the Parliament David Usupashvili said on Friday, GHN news agency reported.

"The president has a deadline until midnight for the signature of the amnesty law, but yesterday he told me that he would not sign it," Usupashvili said.

It should be noted that the time for signature the bill by the president expires on Friday, January 11. If the president does not sign the decree, this procedure will be executed by the Parliament speaker.

Once the amnesty law will take effect from Saturday at 10:00 am on, all those who detained on political grounds will be released.

"This procedure will last at least an hour. As to the other categories of prisoners, the Ministry of Corrections gave a period of two weeks to appeal the cases," Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Sozar Subari said.

According to Subari, 190 prisoners will be pardoned, Trend news agency reported on Wednesday.

"Georgia recognized the presence of political prisoners in the country that were the subject of many international reports. Action on this matter means that such an incident will never happen again," Subari said.

According to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Eka Beselia, consultations on the amnesty law were held with the Justice, Interior and Corrections Ministries as well as other agencies, and the agreement on the execution of the law was reached.

"On behalf of the Parliament I want to say that Parliament will do everything to make sure that the law takes effect in a timely manner. Not a single day will be wasted. I also would like to add that the release of political prisoners will take place without court participation, they will immediately leave their place of detention," Beselia said.

Nevertheless, Usupashvili intends to sign the amnesty law on Saturday, and from Sunday pardoned people will leave prison.

Ealier, Saakashvili for the first time in his presidency term has vetoed the amnesty act recently approved by parliament, not being agreed with the recognition of 200 people as political prisoners in the country.

Saakashvili stressed that only a few people were recognized as political prisoners in the world, whereas in Georgia their number is more that whole world put together.

Saakashvili also expressed 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.

Nevertheless, the Georgian Parliament has overcome the president`s veto with a 91-21 vote.

Currently there are over 20,000 people in Georgian prisons.