Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced on Monday that she will pardon Giorgi Rurua, shareholder of pro-opposition Mtavari Arkhi TV, sentenced to prison in July of last year, if the ruling party and opposition agree to reach a compromise over Georgia’s ongoing political crisis.

She stressed that her decision will only come in effect after political parties sign the new EU compromise proposal, enter Parliament, and after representatives of the EU and U.S. announce that an agreement has been reached. “Within a week after this announcement, I will sign the pardon,” the President concluded.

Georgian Politician Levan Tarkhnishvili, who left the European Georgia party on April 10, assesses President Zurabishvili’s statement as “blackmail”.

"The statement made by Madam President is 1. immorality, 2. blackmail and 3. lawlessness," Tarkhnishvili said in his Facebook post.