Some 200 political prisoners, including 'Russian spies' released in Georgia
TBILISI. Jan 13 (Interfax) - A large-scale amnesty has come into force in Georgia. Since Sunday morning 190 people sentenced for political reasons have been released.
They include members of the so-called Russian spy network identified by the former Georgian authorities - Ruben Shikoyan, Tariel Abashidze, Gela Kakabadze, Vyacheslav Pluzhnikov and others.
Giorgy Dematradze who had been sentenced for his links with the criminal community was also released as a political prisoner and former member of the Georgian national soccer team.
Minister for Corrections and Legal Assistance Sozar Subari told journalists that the amnesty will apply to 17,000 convicts, 3,000 of whom will be released in stages within the next two months, and almost 14,000 others will see their prison terms reduced.
President Mikheil Saakashvili did not sign the amnesty bill passed by parliament at the end of 2012. Nevertheless, the amnesty came into force on January 12 when it was signed by parliament speaker David Usupashvili which is implied by Georgian law, if parliament overrides the presidential veto.