Georgia: On the 33rd anniversary of the massacre, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili paid tribute to the victims of the April 9 tragedy on Saturday.
The Soviet forces attacked peaceful protestors in Tbilisi on April 9, 1989, which led to the killing of 21 individuals and the wounding of hundreds.
“This sacrifice didn’t end in vain. This day determined the upcoming times not only for Georgia but also for the other Soviet nations. April 9 is a tragic date for us when we once again pay homage to the brilliant memory of patriots. We’ll never forget that present-day Georgia stands on the foundation of their accomplishment,” wrote PM Garibashvili.
Moreover, the premier of the country paid a visit to the April 9 memorial in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi earlier today, laying a wreath in memory of the deceased.
Georgia’s independence was restored on April 9, 1991, when the country’s legislative assembly ratified a declaration of independence in 1991 based on the results of a referendum held on March 31, 1991, in which an overwhelming majority of Georgians chose to secede from the Soviet Union.
April 9 is a public holiday in Georgia and is remembered as National Unity Day.
Furthermore, on the same day today, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has pardoned 15 convicts, including six Ukrainians, on the auspicious 33rd anniversary of the April 9 tragedy in Tbilisi.
The pardoned inmates, seven of whom are women, will be released from prison on Saturday, according to the Presidential Administration.
