According to Tornike Mamaladze, the brother of Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze, Salome Zourabichvili’s decision about the Christmas Pardon Act was made by Catholicos-Patriarch himself.

As Tornike Mamaladze said, this was a part of the performance.

“What the President said is certainly not an independent decision. This is the result of a meeting with the Catholicos-Patriarch in the previous days. I had this information, but I tried not to make any statements until the last minute.

Ilia II asked Zourabichvili not to pardon my brother. The Holy Synod’s actions were a farce. The Catholicos-Patriarch even deceived the members of the Holy Synod. They staged a performance and did it very well because they are good actors. Ilia II is frightened, and he is afraid of my brother. He is guilty towards my brother. We will continue to fight legally”, - concluded Tornike Mamaladze.

The President of Georgia pardoned five convicts on Christmas Day, Giorgi Mamaladze was not among them.