Georgian president has pardoned former Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, as well as European Georgia party leader Gigi Ugulava, Novosti Georgia reported.

Opposition politicians were released from custody, just a couple of hours after Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili issued acts of pardon.

In a comment, reporters Okruashvili and Ugulava were informed that they would soon return to active political activity. They thanked the representatives of the opposition spectrum and international partners, thanks to the efforts of which their release was possible.

Zurabishvili stated that she did not recognize Okruashvili or Ugulava as a political prisoner. She noted she had decided to pardon politicians based on the interests of the country.

Okruashvili was detained on July 25, 2019. He was charged with organizing, leading, and participating in violent actions during the assault on the Georgian parliament on June 20-21.  Later, the court acquitted him of the organization.

On April 13, 2020, a Tbilisi city court found Okruashvili guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

As for Gigi Ugulava, on February 10, the Supreme Court of Georgia sentenced him in the case of embezzlement of funds from the Tbilisi Development Fund when he was mayor of the capital, having sentenced the policy to three years and two months in prison.

The investigation claims that in 2011-2012, 48 million lari (over $ 15 million) was spent from the Tbilisi Development Fund for financing the coordinators of the ruling United National Movement party, registered in the organization under the Tbilisi City Hall. At that time, Ugulava was a member of United National Movement party.