EU welcomes Georgian President’s decision to pardon head of opposition TV company Nika Gvaramia

The President of the European Council Charles Michel has welcomed Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili’s decision to pardon Georgian Mtavari TV’s imprisoned CEO Nika Gvaramia as “an essential step towards depolarisation in Georgia”.

Charles Michel also welcomed Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s confirmation that Georgia will not seek to pass a law on foreign influence.

He also said that the Georgian Parliament’s decision to not pass the deoligarchisation law in the third reading is “a positive step”. He added that a focus on systemic approach is needed as per the Venice Commission’s recommendations, which say that the proposed law’s “personal measures” can serve as “a supplement, not an alternative, to the anti-oligarchic influence system”.

“The European Council’s decision to grant Georgia the European perspective last year creates a positive momentum to reform so as to advance on its European path,” said Michel, adding: “Georgia’s future is in the EU.”

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