Neither the Georgian government nor the country’s opposition expected South Ossetian President Anatoly Bibilov to pardon Dr. Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was sentenced to imprisonment of one year and nine months.
This was reported by the Georgian edition of News Front.
“Taking into account that the illegal crossing of the state border was made by the convicted person for the first time and did not entail significant damage to the security of the republic, and on the basis of humane considerations, the president of South Ossetia decided to pardon Gaprindashvili V.D. and its transfer to Georgia, ”the KGB press service of South Ossetia said.
It is noteworthy that the Georgian side did not comment on such a decision for several hours. When the information leaked to the media, Tbilisi tried to present this as a result of “pressure” from Georgia.
However, if anyone provided constructive assistance to Gaprindashvili, this is the Georgian Wrestling Federation. A Georgian resident in Vladikavkaz, Givi Mdivnishvili, reported this on a social network.
“Vazha Gaprindashvili was released by Georgian athletes. This is precisely the merit of these guys that the doctor is in Tbilisi with his family today, ”he said, noting that no“ international partners ”or nationalists had a hand in the release.
In particular, he drew attention to the fact that the doctor, while in Tskhinval, was dressed in the sports uniform of the Georgian Wrestling Federation, which athletes had handed over to him.
As News Front previously reported, Vazha Gaprindashvili was detained in South Ossetia for illegally crossing the republic’s border. At the same time, he persistently refused to recognize the representatives of South Ossetia. In Tskhinval, Gaprindashvili’s actions were regarded as a provocation. This was confirmed by the fact that it was in the case of Dr. Tbilisi and its “Western partners” that they began to promote an information campaign, although in November more than 40 people were detained for similar violations in South Ossetia.
The situation with Gaprindashvili was complicated by the fact that he took an active part in the 2008 conflict as a military doctor. At the same time, Tskhinval believes that the gesture of goodwill with which the doctor was pardoned will take the necessary moral influence on the organizers of the provocation.