Couldn't it also be interpreted as a whitewashing of the people and institutions that were guilty of condemning him? Maybe I'm misunderstanding a 'pardon', but

Couldn't it also be interpreted as a whitewashing of the people and institutions that were guilty of condemning him? Maybe I'm misunderstanding a 'pardon', but it sounds like the state is saying, 'what you did was wrong, but we forgive you' when what it should be saying is 'we were wrong to condemn you'. The whole ordeal has an air of 'might is always right'.