President of Georgia, Mikheil Kavelashvili, has pardoned Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri Japaridze, leaders of the political party Strong Georgia – Lelo, who were serving prison sentences.

In his statement, Kavelashvili emphasized that the decision aims to ensure a competitive election environment ahead of the local self-government elections. He noted that although the two politicians had previously rejected the pardon, he chose to proceed to avoid claims of limited political competition.

The President urged all political actors to respect the law and contribute to peaceful, constructive elections, expressing hope that Khazaradze and Japaridze will continue their political activities lawfully.