“We’ll set you free… into slavery!” – writes Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zurabishvili, on social media.

Salome Zurabishvili is responding to a statement by Mikheil Kavelashvili, who proposed that all convicted politicians submit a request for pardon and confirm their willingness to participate in the elections, in which case he would immediately issue a pardon decree.

Zurabishvili advises Georgian Dream to “step out of the Russian KGB-style scenarios” and start thinking for themselves.

She compares the situation to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s logic toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which involves surrender and destruction.

"Someone said: ‘Acknowledge me, or else…’

Then said again: ‘Acknowledge me — and along with that, hand over everything you have — your dignity, reputation, and conscience — and I will set you free… into slavery!’

This is the same logic Putin applies toward Zelenskyy: ‘Surrender,’ and at the same time, ‘I will take Crimea from you forever, also Donetsk and Luhansk — and know this: I haven’t changed my original military goal — your destruction!’

It wouldn’t hurt to step out of the Russian KGB-style scenarios a bit, think for yourselves, and take the Georgian character into account. You might even do something better for a change!

But that requires the ability for free thinking and reasoning,” writes Salome Zurabishvili on Facebook.