This [pardon of prisoners] is not an issue for me to decide, or even for the Georgian Dream team. Where the president has discretionary powers, he may even find a recommendation improper, this would be a natural thing and cannot be done, - Mamuka Mdinaradze, State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Structures, told journalists in response to a question about the pardon of prisoners.

According to him, we must clearly determine our attitude depending on the attitude of the other side, although this is not a condition.

“This is not an issue for me to discuss. First, we must call everything by its name. Just 5-6 years ago, if a person was called a prisoner of conscience, he had to be a victim of a world-famous special lawlessness. Today, we so casually call people “prisoner of conscience”, “illegal prisoner”, this is where a controversial topic comes in. In controversial topics, certain inconveniences arise. Among them, even legal ones, not only those that determine a personal position or the position of the team. If we establish these positions, then decisions will always be easier. I think that we should clearly define our attitude depending on what the attitude of the other side is. I want no one to take it as a condition. This is not an issue for me to decide, or even for the Georgian Dream team to decide. Where the president has discretionary powers, he may even find a recommendation improper, this would be a natural thing and cannot be done.

My position will naturally be that when a person repents of a crime, etc., it may even sound stereotypical, but the state is even more lenient towards him, although in this case it will not work, because there are antagonistic thoughts between me and you. This is the discretionary authority of one person. I can't talk about this even in a slightly positive or negative context, my personal expectations shouldn't be interesting," Mdinaradze said.