before
GEORGIA
- Current Issues
- Country Background, Politics & Law
- Human Rights Issues
- Security, Humanitarian Issues and Protection Related Issues
- Autonomous Territories
Human Rights Issues
05.2008 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Annual report on religious freedom 2008 ("Annual Report of the United States Commission in International Religious Freedom") [ID 23306]
Document(s):
Open document
11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State
Attacks on religious minorities continued to decrease; police were quick to respond to incidents of abuse ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22576]
"
During the year attacks on religious minorities, including violence, verbal harassment, and disruption of services and meetings, continued to decrease, with the Ombudsman's Office reporting that incidents of abuse declined to nearly half the number of cases the previous year. Police were quick to respond to incidents of abuse but were slower in their follow up to crimes they viewed as minor "hooliganism," defined as actions that violate public order or demonstrate open contempt towards society committed by using violence or threats of violence.
Document(s):
Open document
26.09.2007 - Source: UK Home Office
General societal discrimination against religious minorities; since the new Government has come to power the situation has improved; state authorities do not persecute members of religious minorities ("Operational Guidance Note; Georgia") [ID 21233]
"
There is some general societal discrimination against religious minority groups in
Document(s):
Open document
14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State
Attacks on religious minorities, including violence, verbal harassment, and disruption of services and meetings, continued to decrease; media hostilities attributed to the attitudes of individual media reporters ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21227]
"There were reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious belief or practice; however, the non-GOC religious minorities reported substantial reductions in incidents of harassment, violence, or other direct pressures. None alleged continuing organized campaigns of physical abuse. All reported continuing media hostility, although most attributed it to the attitudes of individual media reporters rather than a systematic, organized media campaign."
Document(s):
Open document
14.09.2007 - Source: US Department of State
Continuing problems with teachers reinforcing Orthodox theology through prayer in classroom and the display of icons and other religious symbols in schools ("International Religious Freedom Report 2007") [ID 21229]
"The Ombudsman reported continuing problems with teachers reinforcing Orthodox theology through prayer in classroom and the display of icons and other religious symbols in schools. The MOE instituted a General Inspection Department authorized to deal with complaints of inappropriate teacher behavior, including violations of the religious freedom of students. During the period covered by this report, the MOE was in the process of formulating guidelines for periodic teacher recertification that would make such complaints an element for teacher retraining or disciplinary action. The General Inspection Department reported that 15 complaints of violations of religious freedom were filed in the first part of 2007, most of them concerning verbal abuse and insults. Investigation of the complaints was under way. In June 2007 the PGO received a letter reporting a series of alleged verbal and physical abuses of Jehovah's Witnesses children in school; the PGO referred the allegations to the General Inspection Department for followup. "
Document(s):
Open document
05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Decreased number of reported incidents of violence against minority religious communities; 14 religious communities obtained legal status as non-commercial organizations, while the Georgian Orthodox Church remains the only religious group with formal legal status as a religious organization ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20116]
"However, under the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili, elected in January 2004, the number of reported incidents of violence against minority religious communities has markedly decreased. In January 2005, two leaders of vigilante violence were sentenced to prison for their involvement in the attacks. In the past year, President Saakashvili, the National Security Council Secretary, and the Government Human Rights Ombudsman have advocated on behalf of religious freedom and spoken out in support of minority religious groups. In late 2004, Georgian officials permitted the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to operate legally in the country for the first time. Under a new registration process established by parliament in April 2005, 14 religious communities were able to obtain legal status as non-commercial organizations. While the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) remains the only religious group with formal legal status as a religious organization and other religious freedom issues remain unresolved in Georgia, major improvement in religious freedom conditions led the Commission to remove Georgia from its Watch List in 2004."
Document(s):
Open document
05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Violations of religious freedom; local officials have restricted the rights of members of mainly non-traditional religious minorities; they were subjected to societal violence; improvements in the status of religious freedom based on increased investigations ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20117]
"Georgia’s 1995 Constitution mandates the separation of church and state, guarantees religious freedom, and forbids “persecution of an individual for his thoughts, beliefs or religion.” In practice, however, violations of religious freedom have occurred, especially at the regional level, where local officials have restricted the rights of members of mainly non-traditional religious minorities, who in past years were subjected to societal violence. However, according to the State Department, increased investigations and prosecutions of the perpetrators led to further improvements in the status of religious freedom in 2006."
Document(s):
Open document
06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State
During the year attacks on religious minorities, including violence, verbal harassment, and disruption of services and meetings, continued to decrease; past complaints remained unresolved ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19327]
"During the year attacks on religious minorities, including violence, verbal harassment, and disruption of services and meetings, continued to decrease. Although police rarely facilitated harassment of religious minority groups, they sometimes failed to protect them. While the prosecutor general's office increasingly initiated investigations of religious-based violence, past complaints remained unresolved."
Document(s):
Open document
13.02.2007 - Source: Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
Violence against members of religious minorities has markedly diminished in the past few years, but members of non-traditional religions are not yet safe from physical assault; police do not take adequate steps to protect them ("Second report on Georgia: Adopted on 30 June 2006 and made public on 13 February 2007 [CRI(2007)2]") [ID 19173]
"ECRI is pleased to learn of the general view in Georgia that large-scale episodes of violence directed against members of religious minorities have markedly diminished in the pest few years. It notes that the defrocked Orthodox priest, Basil Mkalavishvili, and his accomplices were arrested in March 2004 and given prison sentences (six years in Mr Mkalavishvili‘s case) in 2005. Mr Mkalavishvili and his followers seem to have been the main perpetrators of the violence and openly encouraged other people to attack religious minorities. Their arrest did put an end to their activities, but ECRI has learned with regret that the manner of the arrest apparently infringed their human rights. The highest ranking Georgian authorities have stated their intention of putting an end to disturbances and violence due to religious intolerance. The General Prosecutor‘s Office emphasised the importance it attaches to all cases concerning manifestations of religious intolerance. For example, the deputy general prosecutor himself has been instructed to monitor all cases of this kind and a System of official statistics on the number of cases and their outcome has very recently been Set up.
Despite these noteworthy advances, ECRI strongly deplores the fact that members of religious minorities, especially non-traditional religions in Georgia, are not yet safe from physical assault or attacks on their property by extremists or local people. Both the NGOs and the authorities have reported to ECRI several cases in which Jehovah‘s Witnesses, for example, complained of such attacks. Some of these complaints are being investigated by the courts.
ECRI is concerned at allegations that the police do not take adequate steps to protect members of religious minorities, inter alia against hindrances to religious worship. However, it also notes that the Ministry of the Interior has stated its commitment to protecting everyone‘s freedom of worship. In some cases, the Ministry is nevertheless obliged to suggest that members of religious minorities change their place of worship as the sole means of protecting them, owing to pressure from the local community or threats from certain extremists. ECRI therefore does not regard the decrease in the number and intensity of attacks as sufficient and takes the view that members of non-traditional religious minorities still cannot live peacefully in Georgia without fear of being targeted by violent manifestations of religious intolerance."
Document(s):
Open document
13.02.2007 - Source: Council of Europe - European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
Intolerant statements made by politicians and some media against religious minorities; widespread stereotypes against non-traditional religions while no religious intolerance against Jews and Muslims ("Second report on Georgia: Adopted on 30 June 2006 and made public on 13 February 2007 [CRI(2007)2]") [ID 19178]
"Many comments from national and international sources, including the Georgian authorities, have criticised the lack of awareness of all minority religions among the mostly Orthodox population of Georgia. ECRI regrets that some media, politicians, members of the Orthodox clergy and members of the general public have at times made intolerant statements, with impunity, against members of religious minorities. As evidenced by surveys and opinion Polls among the Georgian population, such statements fuel widespread prejudice and stereotypes directed almost entirely against non-traditional religions and their members. These religions are apparently described as “aggressive“ and “harmful to the country“. On the other hand, it is generally felt that the Georgian population demonstrates virtually no religious intolerance against Jews, Muslims or members of other “traditional“ religions."
Document(s):
Open document
23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International
Members of religious minorities were from time to time beaten by supporters of Georgian Orthodox Church; although some perpetrators of attacks were imprisoned, as was the case of Basil Mkalavishvili, others continue to enjoy impunity ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 15543]
"There were several instances where members of religious minorities were beaten and harassed by supporters of the Georgian Orthodox Church. In some cases, it was alleged that the attacks were incited by Georgian Orthodox priests. Several perpetrators of violent attacks on religious minorities in recent years were imprisoned during 2005. However, hundreds continued to enjoy impunity. Some of those who were convicted were not tried for all the attacks they were believed to have been involved in. On 31 January Vake-Saburtalo district court in Tbilisi sentenced Basil Mkalavishvili, Petre Ivanidze and Merab Korashinidze to six, four and one year’s imprisonment respectively on charges including “illegal interference with the execution of religious rites or other religious rules and habits”, “beatings” and “arson”. Other supporters of Basil Mkalavishvili – Avtandil Donadze, Avtandil Gabunia, Akaki Mosashvili and Mikheil Nikolozashvili – were given three-year suspended prison sentences. In October a higher court in Tbilisi turned down an appeal by Basil Mkalavishvili and Petre Ivanidze."
Document(s):
Open document
05.2006 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Annual report on religious freedom 2006 ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 15586]
Under President Saakashvili religious freedom has improved and perpetrators of religious violence have been prosecuted; still many people accused of participating in the violence, including local police officials, have not been held accountable; status of Georgian Orthodox Church compared to that of other religious communities is still of concern
"In the past year, President Saakashvili, the National Security Council Secretary, and the Government Ombudsman have all advocated religious freedom and spoken out in support of minority religious groups. In late 2004, Georgian officials permitted the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to operate legally in the country for the first time. [...] [S]ignificant improvement in religious freedom conditions led the Commission to remove Georgia from its Watch List in 2004. Georgia’s 1995 Constitution mandates the separation of church and state, guarantees religious freedom, and forbids “persecution of an individual for his thoughts, beliefs or religion.” In practice, however, violations of religious freedom have occurred, especially at the regional level, where local officials have restricted the rights of members of mainly non-traditional religious minorities, who in past years were subjected to societal violence. However, according to the State Department, increased investigations and prosecutions of the perpetrators led to further improvements in the status of religious freedom in 2005. [...] After years of government delays and inaction, in November 2003, only days after the Shevardnadze government fell, a court in Rustavi sentenced Bluashvili and four associates to suspended prison terms, ranging from two to four years, for their role in spearheading the violence in two attacks against Jehovah’s Witnesses. Mkalavishvili has also been convicted on criminal charges, though only after somewhat drawnout legal proceedings. Mkalavishvili and an associate were sentenced in January 2005[...] Although the primary leaders of the violent attacks against members of religious minorities have been convicted, many other of the people accused of participating in this violence—including local police officials— have not been held to account by the Georgian authorities, reportedly due to fears of offending the GOC hierarchy. Moreover, Orthodox communities other than the GOC and some other minority Christian denominations periodically encounter difficulties from local officials and the GOC in building places of worship or displaying their literature in bookstores. There are a number of concerns involving the status of the GOC, to which 65 percent of the country’s population claim adherence. Article 9 of the Constitution recognizes the “special importance of the GOC in Georgian history.” [...] In recent years, Assyrian Chaldean Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Old Believers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Roman Catholics have stated that the GOC Patriarchate has often acted to prevent them from acquiring, building, or reclaiming places of worship. The Patriarchate has also reportedly denied permission for Pentecostals, the Salvation Army, and the True Orthodox Church to print some religious literature in Georgia, although Assyrian Chaldean Catholics, Baptists, Roman Catholics, and Yezidis (an ancient religion with a majority of ethnic Kurdish adherents) have not reported difficulties in this regard. An affiliate organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses has been allowed to register as a civic association, which should ease problems with regard to the import of religious literature. In April 2005, a new law was passed allowing religious communities to register as noncommercial organizations. As a result, both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and the Seventh Day Adventists were approved for registration. [...] Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic churches reportedly are trying to devise a different arrangement with the government. They, along with Muslims, oppose registering as non-commercial organizations, preferring to register only as public religious bodies. This would give them the same status as that of the GOC, the only religious community in the country that enjoys such a distinction and one that it gained as a result of its 2002 concordat with the Georgian government. The leaders of many other religious minority groups are also still seeking recognized legal status, a prerequisite for the community collectively to own property or organize most religious activities. However, the absence of formal legal status generally has not prevented most religious communities from functioning through affiliated registered nongovernmental organizations. [...]"
Document(s):
Open document
05.04.2006 - Source: World Organisation Against Torture
President of Caucasus Centre for Protection of Conscience and Religious Persuasion Freedom (CCPCRPF) in Georgia reportedly arbitrarily arrested ("Georgia: Arbitrary detention of Mr. Azer Samedov [GEO 002 / 0406 / 043]") [#48481], [ID 5096]
Document(s):
Open document
08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State
Denial of registration of religious groups may now be questioned at court; minority religious groups reported less harassment than last year, however they were sometimes obstructed from constructing churches; when attacks occurred against religious groups, response by enforcement authorities was inadequate ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46124], [ID 5097]
"The law provides for freedom of religion; however, in practice local authorities sometimes restricted or were hostile to the rights of members of nontraditional religious minority groups.[...]
In December numerous MPs objected strongly to a report by the ombudsman calling for equal recognition under the law for all religions. The MPs stated that the historical position of the GOC justified its privileged position. [...] Religious groups may now register as local associations ("unions") or foundations. An association is based on membership (a minimum of 5 members is required), while a foundation involves one or more founders establishing a fund for furtherance of a certain cause for the benefit of the particular group or the general public. In both cases, registration is granted by the MOJ. Registration must be granted or denied within 15 days of application. Refusal may be appealed in court.
The MOJ approved the first applications filed under the new registration process. Both the Foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the Seventh Day Adventists received their approvals in less time than the period allowed by law. Some religious communities were dissatisfied with the status that registering under the law provided. The Catholic Church and Armenian Apostolic Church as well as Muslims opposed registering, short of registering as a religious body, and continued to object to the GOC's preferred status.
In some cases local authorities declined to recognize the validity of building permits for minority religions.
While less harassment was reported during the year, representatives of minority religion continued to report intimidation from local government authorities and obstructions to constructing worship halls. The Catholic Church, True Orthodox Church, Baptists, Armenian Apostolic Church, and other Protestant denominations had difficulty in building churches during the year.
Reports of violence against minority religious groups continued to decrease, but several groups reported intimidation by local authorities as well as by citizens. They reported that the government, particularly law enforcement personnel, failed to respond adequately and sometimes even cooperated in attacks, which consequently became more aggressive. Investigations into attacks on followers of minority religions were not pursued vigorously. [...]
Societal Abuses and Discrimination
[...]
Despite a general tolerance toward minority religious groups traditional to the country--including Catholics, Armenian Apostolic Christians, Jews, and Muslims--citizens remained very apprehensive towards Protestants and other nontraditional religions, which were seen as taking advantage of the populace's economic hardships by gaining membership through providing economic assistance to converts. Some members of the GOC and the public viewed non-Orthodox religious groups, particularly nontraditional groups or sects, as a threat to the national church and the country's cultural values and argued that foreign Christian missionaries should confine their activities to non‑Christian areas. Reputable and repeated public opinion polls indicated that a majority of citizens believed minority or nontraditional religious groups were detrimental to the country and that prohibition and outright violence against such groups would be acceptable to control them.[...]
In October the prosecutor's office's monthly report on promoting human rights noted 11 investigations based on religiously motivated attacks, 3 of which were related to the June incidents in Kutaisi. One indictment was submitted to court."
Document(s):
Open document
01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Center
Although Law on General Education forbids religious proselytizing, recent governmental memorandum provides for elaboration of Orthodox Christian school materials and involvement of Patriarchate`s representatives in education; with arrest of Basil Mkalavishvili religious violence decreased dramatically ("Next Stop – Belarus?; Human Rights Report 2005; Georgia") [#43007], [ID 5098]
"The field of freedom of religion has seen several interesting developments in the year 2005. In April the Parliament adopted amendments to the Civil Code allowing the registration of religious organizations for the first time in the history of Georgia. Currently, religious groupings can register in the form of non-commercial private law entities. The same month also saw the adoption of a new law ‘On General Education’, forbidding religious proselytizing, indoctrination, and display of religious symbols for non-educational purposes. Still, the adoption of this latter law did not seem to stand in the way for the drawing up of a governmental memorandum based on an agreement made three months earlier between the Patriarchate and Ministry of Education. The agreement provides for the elaboration of Orthodox Christian school materials and school programs, the drawing up of procedures for the selection and dismissal of teachers, procedures for the active involvement of the Patriarchate’s representatives in the establishment of educational programs, and the funding of education under auspices of the Orthodox Church. This memorandum clearly violates the Constitutional principle of the separation of church and state.
Although, as mentioned above, all religious groupings are now able to register, several are not satisfied with these amendments and see them as discriminatory. They argue that in this and in other spheres the Georgian Orthodox Church enjoys a special, more favourable status. In the first place, the Orthodox Church is the only confession that holds a public law legal personality, which is unattainable for all other religious groups. Then, it is also the only one to receive numerous privileges from the state, like a favourable tax regime, release from military service for the clergy, protection of the secrecy of confession, acknowledgment of church marriages, the promise to compensate for losses sustained in the 19th and 20th centuries, and so forth. Such practices violate the Constitutional and international principle of equality.
With regard to violence against religious minorities, it can be said that it has gone down dramatically after the arrest of Basil Mkalavishvili, the main instigator of such acts. From April 2004 to April 2005, only one complaint reached the Public Defender’s Office. However, after April the situation seemed to have worsened, as up to June 2005 twelve complaints of harassment were received.
In general, several things can be concluded. According to the Public Defender’s information, discrimination against religious minorities on the part of local administrative organs continues and is not effectively acted against by law enforcement authorities due to lack of involvement."
Document(s):
Open document
25.11.2005 - Source: Forum 18
Only 2 in-country non-Orthodox religious communities received state registration as non-commercial organisations since registration became possible on 6 April 2005; widespread hostility towards non-Georgian Orthodox Church communities ("Religious minorities still second-class faiths?") [#39814], [ID 5099]
Document(s):
Open document
08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State
Freedom of religion generally respected, although nontraditional religious minorities are sometimes restricted; some religiously motivated violence remains unpunished; new legislation allowed for religions registration ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872], [ID 5100]
"The Constitution provides for freedom of religion and the Government generally respects this right in practice; however, local authorities sometimes restricted the rights of members of nontraditional religious minority groups. During the period covered by this report, the status of religious freedom improved. Attacks on religious minorities, including violence, verbal harassment, and disruption of services and meetings, decreased. The Government arrested and sentenced to imprisonment the excommunicated Orthodox priest, Father Basil Mkalavishvili, but did not initiate criminal trials against several other instigators of religiously motivated violence. In April, the Government passed a law enabling religious groups to register. The Government also passed a law on general education that partly improved regulation of religious freedom in schools. Local harassment, both verbal and physical, of nontraditional minority religions continued. Although police were generally more responsive to the needs of minority religious groups, they failed at times to adequately protect these groups. […]
In April, Parliament passed an amendment to the Civil Code allowing for the registration of religious groups. Before the law was passed, religious groups were required to register as public (i.e. state-regulated) entities, but the law provided no mechanism to do this. Nevertheless, the Administrative Violations Code stipulated a fine for any unregistered religious groups. […] The new amendment allows for religions to register as private, non-commercial entities. Additionally, Parliament removed the article from the Administrative Violations Code fining unregistered religions.
[…] There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees."
Document(s):
Open document
08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State
Georgian Orthodox Church is privileged compared to other churches; 2002 Concordat between Church and State grants it unique role in education and access to militaries; some other churches agreed to the Concordat ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872], [ID 5101]
"The GOC enjoys a tax-exempt status not available to other religious groups, and lobbied Parliament and the Government for laws that would grant it special status and restrict the activities of missionaries from nontraditional religions. The 2002 Concordat between the Church and State defines relations between the two. The Concordat contained several controversial articles, giving the Patriarch of the Church immunity, granting the Church exclusive access to the military chaplaincy, exempting clergymen from military service, and giving the Church a unique consultative role in government, especially in the sphere of education. Article 6.6 can be--and under the Shevardnadze regime was--interpreted to give the GOC approval authority over all religious literature, symbols, construction and importation, whether Georgian Orthodox or not. The Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Baptist, and Armenian Apostolic churches, as well as representatives of the Jewish and Muslim faiths, signed formal documents with the Orthodox Patriarchate agreeing to the Concordat, but stated after the document was published that several of these controversial articles were not in the original. Representatives of nontraditional minority religious groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and Pentecostals, were not included in the Concordat process. The Roman Catholic and Armenian Churches have raised concerns about the authority the Orthodox Church enjoys over decisions regarding the return of its historical church property."
Document(s):
Open document
08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State
Members of nontraditional faiths as Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, and Pentecostals sometimes face harassment; police are slow to prevent this harassment ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872], [ID 5121]
"While most citizens practice their religion without restriction, the worship of some, particularly members of nontraditional faiths, has been restricted by threats and intimidation from some local Orthodox priests and congregations. On some occasions during the reporting period, local police were slow to prevent the harassment of non-Orthodox religious groups, including members of Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, and Pentecostals. Some politicians used the supremacy of the GOC in their platforms and criticized some Protestant groups, particularly evangelical groups, as subversive. […] Many members of the GOC and the public view religious minorities, especially nontraditional groups of evangelical Protestants or so-called "sects," as a threat to the national Church and the country's cultural values."
Document(s):
Open document
08.2005 - Source: Freedom House
Freedom of religion generally respected, although some nontraditional religious groups face harassment ("Freedom in the World 2005") [#41311], [ID 5102]
"Freedom of religion is respected for the country’s largely Georgian Orthodox population and some minority religious groups traditional to the country, including Muslims and Jews. However, members of nontraditional religious minority groups, including Baptists, Pentecostals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, face harassment and intimidation by law enforcement officials and certain Georgian Orthodox Church extremists."
Document(s):
Open document
15.06.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch
Apart from Georgian Orthodox Church, which has an individual agreement with the government, "non-traditional religious communities" are subjected to discrimination and intolerance ("Georgia and the European Neighbourhood Policy") [#35208], [ID 5122]
"The Georgian Orthodox Church is the dominant religion and enjoys a special legal and social status in Georgia. Members of non-traditional religions, such as Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Evangalists, are subjected to discrimination and intolerance.
From the late 1990s until 2003, violent attacks by organized groups of Orthodox Christian vigilantes against non-traditional Christian groups were common (Human Rights Watch documented these extensively), but the attacks subsided prior to the Rose Revolution and have not begun again.30 In 2004, the leader of many attacks, Vasili Mkalavishvili, was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison. The government has not brought to justice the perpetrators of scores of other attacks. Members of non-traditional religions told Human Rights Watch about incidents of discrimination against their children in state schools, usually during religion classes, which focus on teaching about the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Ministry of Education plans to replace such lessons with classes on the history of religion, which would cover a range of religious traditions, as well as to prohibit the use of state schools for religious indoctrination. While this would be a welcome move, NGOs and leaders of non-traditional religions told Human Rights Watch that they fear that in practice teachers will continue to teach Georgian Orthodox Christianity in the history of religion classes, since the influence of Georgian Orthodox clergy on the schools is very strong. Many schools have Georgian Orthodox symbols and prayer rooms, and children are said to be pressured to participate in prayer.
The legislative situation covering registration of religious groups, excluding the Georgian Orthodox Church, which has its own individual agreement with the government, is currently in flux. In the past, some religious groups have been able to register as NGOs and others have not been registered. Local authorities have harassed those without registration, and those with NGO registration have had other difficulties, such as legalizing property ownership in the names of their religious confessions. In April 2005, parliament began consideration of amendments to current legislation on associations, which would allow religious confessions to register as religious groups and regulate their ownership of property. At this time, it is important to ensure that any new registration framework complies with Council of Europe and international standards on religious freedom."
Document(s):
Open document
19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Official status of religious minorities continued to be a problematic issue; it does not exist any law specifically detailing the rights of minority religious groups ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events of 2004)") [#32106], [ID 5104]
"The official status of religious minorities continued to be a problematic issue in Georgia in 2004. There is no law specifically detailing the rights of minority religious groups, although the government does have a formal concordat with the Georgian Orthodox Church signed in 2002. In 2004 the issue of minority rights centered a great deal upon organizational and building rights. It remained virtually impossible for non-Orthodox religious groups to build places of worship, either because they were refused permits by secular authorities claiming that the 2002 concordat gives the Orthodox Church the right to veto applications by other religious bodies, or because of strong resistance and the threat of violence from local populations. Many minority leaders believe that the only solution to such restrictions and to ensure the freedom of religion guaranteed in the Constitution is to enact a law explicitly authorizing them to organize as legal entities like other NGO’s with institutional rights of property ownership and financial operations."
Document(s):
Open document
19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Reduction of violence against religious minorities observed ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events of 2004)") [#32106], [ID 5123]
"After five years of widespread violence against religious minorities in Georgia, a reduction in such cases was finally observed coinciding with the election of President Saakashvili in 2004. One of the main reasons for this improvement seems to be the decision by Saakashvili to arrest defrocked priest Fr Basil Mkalavishvili, formerly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Mkalavishvili is implicated in as many as 200 mob attacks on Baptists, Pentacostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics and True Orthodox between 1999 and 2003. Attacks included the destruction of places of worship, burning of religious literature and physical injuries to individual believers. When arresting Mkalavishvili in March 2004, police used excessive force against him and his supporters."
Document(s):
Open document
05.2005 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
Number of reported incidents of violence against religious minorities decreased in 2004; 2 instigators of assaults against religious minorities were tried and sentenced to terms in prison ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [#32066], [ID 5103]
"Georgia’s former government under President Eduard Shevardnadze exhibited a slow and inadequate response to three years of vigilante violence against members of some of the country’s religious minorities. However, under the new government of President Mikheil Saakashvili, the number of reported incidents of violence against minority religious communities markedly decreased in 2004. Moreover, in January 2005, two of the leaders of this vigilante violence were sentenced to prison for their involvement in the attacks. Georgian officials have also permitted the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible Society to operate legally in the country for the first time. Though other religious freedom issues remain unresolved in Georgia, such as that only the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC) has formal legal status, significant improvement in religious freedom conditions in the past year has led the Commission to remove Georgia from its Watch List.
Georgia’s 1995 Constitution mandates the separation of church and state, guarantees religious freedom, and forbids “persecution of an individual for his thoughts, beliefs or religion.” In practice, however, violations of religious freedom have occurred, especially at the regional level, where local officials have restricted the rights of mainly non-traditional religious minorities, who in past years were subjected to societal violence.
[...]
The main instigators of these attacks were defrocked GOC priest Basil Mkalavishvili and director of the Orthodox “Jvari” Union Paata Bluashvili, the latter of whom was reportedly supported by some in the GOC hierarchy. After years of government delays and inaction, in November 2003, only days after the Shevardnadze government fell, a court in Rustavi sentenced Bluashvili and four associates to suspended prison terms, ranging from two to four years, for their role in spearheading the violence in two attacks against Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The other leader of mob violence against religious minorities, Basil Mkalavishvili, a priest who is currently under the jurisdiction of Greek Old Calendarist Bishop Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili, has also been convicted on criminal charges, though only after somewhat drawn-out legal proceedings. Over 100 police stormed Mkalavishvili’s church in Tbilisi in March 2004, and he was taken into three-month pre-trial detention in conformity with a June 2003 court order; a later closed court hearing ruled that seven of his followers also be held for three months of pre-trial detention. In response to a public outcry over the way these arrests were conducted, President Saakashvili denied that his government was undermining Orthodoxy and justified Mkalavishvili’s detention as a way to “defend” the GOC from “extremist religious groups [which] threaten the Orthodox church.” Also in March 2004, the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate issued a statement that the GOC had in fact defrocked Mkalavishvili in 1996. Mkalavishvili and an associate were sentenced in January 2005; Mkalavishvili received a fiveyear term and his associate a four-year term. Their lawyers reportedly plan to appeal the sentences."
Document(s):
Open document
05.2005 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom
The drop of attacks on religious minorities represents improvement for religious freedom; still, Georgian media and opinion polls reflect societal intolerance towards some non-traditional religions ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [#32066], [ID 5124]
"The precipitous drop in the number of violent attacks on religious minorities and the sentencing of the ringleaders of the violence represent improvements for religious freedom in Georgia. Under the Shevardnadze government, minority religious groups in Georgia, including Baptists, Catholics, Hare Krishnas, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Orthodox churches that do not accept the primacy of the GOC Patriarchate, were subjected to more than 100 violent vigilante attacks. Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as members of independent Orthodox churches, were particularly targeted. Local police were implicated in these attacks, as they often refused to intervene to protect the victims. What began in 1999 as a series of isolated attacks in the capital of Tbilisi escalated by 2002 into a nation-wide scourge of widely publicized mob assaults against members of religious minorities.
[...}
Despite general tolerance toward minority religious communities seen as traditional to Georgia, opinion polls and the Georgian media reflect significant societal intolerance towards Protestants and other religions relatively new to Georgia, seen as a threat to the GOC and national cultural values. Public opinion polls continue to show that a majority of Georgians view minority or new religious groups as detrimental and that violence against and the prohibition of such groups would be acceptable, according to the State Department’s 2004 human rights report. Some GOC representatives have argued that foreign Christian missionaries should confine their activities to the country’s non-Christian areas. The Georgian media has also reflected intolerant views towards religious minorities."
Document(s):
Open document
15.03.2005 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)
Recent positive developments regarding the situation of freedom of religion or belief noted by the UN Special Rapporteur ("Report of Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief - Summary of cases transmitted to Governments and replies received (E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1)") [#30271], [ID 5125]
"126. The Special Rapporteur has taken note of recent positive developments regarding the situation of freedom of religion or belief and these developments should be analysed in the light of the report submitted by her predecessor after his visit to Georgia in September 2003 (see E/CN.2004/63/Add.1). Nevertheless, awaiting the reply of the Government to her communication of 10 November 2004, she is concerned that alleged incidents of religious intolerance continue to occur throughout the country and would welcome receiving information on the measures that have been undertaken by the Government pursuant to the recommendations made by her predecessor."
Document(s):
Open document
14.03.2005 - Source: Council of Europe - Secretary General
Mkalashvili's conviction welcomed as a sign of the Georgian authorities’ commitment not to tolerate religious violence ("Compliance with commitments and obligations: the situation in Georgia [SG/Inf (2005) 6]") [#31811], [ID 5126]
"In January 2005 the excommunicated Orthodox priest Basil Mkalashvili was convicted for violence against Georgian Christian minority groups during the late nineties and sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. Two of his closest associates received four-year and one-year sentences. Local and international human rights defenders welcomed Mkalashvili's conviction as a sign of the Georgian authorities’ commitment not to tolerate religious violence. They noted, however, that despite its significance, this trial cannot be considered as fully solving the still remaining difficulties in this area."
Document(s):
Open document
28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State
There were fewer reports of violence against minority religious groups in 2004, but several groups continued to report intimidation by local authorities ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29503], [ID 5105]
"The Constitution provides for freedom of religion; however, in practice, local authorities sometimes restricted the rights of members of nontraditional religious minority groups. There were fewer reports of violence against minority religious groups this year, but several groups continued to report intimidation by local authorities.
The Constitution recognizes the special role of the GOC in the country's history but stipulates the separation of church and state. A constitutional agreement (Concordat) signed by the President and the Georgian Orthodox Patriarch gives the GOC legal status and states that, with the consent of the GOC, the Government can issue permits or licenses for the use of official symbols and terminology of the GOC, as well as for the production, import, and distribution of worship articles. The tax code grants tax exemptions only for the GOC. Although several churches signed formal documents with the Orthodox Patriarchate agreeing to the Concordat, they noted that a controversial article allowing GOC authority over construction, as well as restitution issues, was not in the original agreed-upon document.
Some nationalist politicians continued to use the issue of the supremacy of the GOC in their platforms and criticized some Protestant groups, particularly evangelical groups, as subversive. Jehovah's Witnesses in particular were the targets of vocal attacks from such politicians.
There are no laws regarding the registration of religious organizations. The GOC remained the only religion with legal status in the country, although some religions registered affiliated NGOs. This lack of legal status prevented religions from renting or registering property; many groups registered property under an individual or affiliated NGO, although this complicated ownership issues and exposed individuals to personal liability. The new Government has not addressed a previous draft law to allow for registration or proposed other changes. Unregistered religious groups are not officially permitted to rent office space, acquire construction rights, import literature, or represent the international church, although many religious groups accomplished these goals through their locally registered NGOs. Unregistered religious groups were also subject to an administrative fine.
In late 2003, the new Government allowed the registration of the Jehovah's Witnesses NGO The Watchtower Bible Society. Jehovah's Witness Groups reported that since then, unlike in previous years, there has been no violent persecution and they have had no difficulties in importing their literature.
While less harassment was reported during the year, minority religions continued to report intimidation from local government authorities and obstructions to constructing worship halls. The Catholic Church, True Orthodox Church, Baptists, Armenian Apostolic Church, and Protestant denominations had difficulty in building churches during the year.
The Roman Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church were unable to secure the return of churches closed or given to the GOC during the Soviet period. The Jewish community also experienced delays in the return of property confiscated during Soviet rule, including a former synagogue that a 2001 Supreme Court ruling instructed the Government to return.
The Ministry of Education requires all 4th grade students to take a "Religion and Culture" class, which covers the history of major religions. Many parents complained of teachers focusing solely on the Georgian Orthodox Church. The Church has a consultative role in all curriculum development.
Regular and reliable information regarding separatist-controlled regions, including South Ossetia, was difficult to obtain. An Abkhaz presidential decree bans Jehovah's Witnesses. A number of members of Jehovah's Witnesses were detained in the last few years; however, according to a representative of Jehovah's Witnesses, none were detained during the year.
Despite a general tolerance toward minority religious groups traditional to the country--including Catholics, Armenian Apostolic Christians, Jews, and Muslims--citizens remained very apprehensive towards Protestants and other nontraditional religions, which were seen as taking advantage of the populace's economic hardships by gaining membership by providing economic assistance to converts. Some members of the GOC and the public viewed non-Orthodox religious groups, particularly nontraditional groups or sects, as a threat to the national Church and the country's cultural values and argued that foreign Christian missionaries should confine their activities to non-Christian areas. Reputable and repeated public opinion polls indicated that a majority of citizens believed minority or nontraditional religious groups were detrimental to the state and that prohibition and outright violence against such groups would be acceptable to limit them.
Since 2000, the Government has prosecuted a criminal case against Father Basili Mkalavishvili, an Orthodox priest, whose followers engaged in a number of violent attacks on nontraditional religious minorities; however, the investigation has proceeded very slowly. In 2003, Father Mkalavishvili's case was suspended due the Government's inability to keep order in the court, and Father Mkalavishvili went into hiding. In March, riot police stormed the church where Father Mkalavishvili was hiding out, arrested him and several of his supporters, and placed them in 3-month pretrial detention. Father Mkalavishvili's trial began on September 13 and was ongoing at year's end. Though his arrest was welcomed, many NGOs criticized the excessive force used to apprehend him.
Unlike in previous years, there were no violent attacks against nontraditional religious minorities by Basilists.
In June 2003, an ultra-Orthodox mob blocked the streets in front of a Pentecostal minister's house where services were being conducted and refused to let parishioners through. Church members were threatened with violence. Police were present but did not allow the parishioners to enter the street. At year's end, the Pentecostal group still had not been allowed access to this meeting house. The same Pentecostal group filed a suit in the Constitutional Court, complaining that they were denied legal registration as a religious group in contradiction with the Constitution, in which freedom of religion is guaranteed."
Document(s):
Open document
01.02.2005 - Source: Forum 18
Fr Basil Mkalavishvili and Petre Ivanidze convicted for violence against religious minorities but other perpetrators escape prosecution ("Two leaders of religious violence finally sentenced – but what about the others?") [#29319], [ID 5127]
Document(s):
Open document
01.02.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Excommunicated Orthodox priest Mkalavishvili sentenced to 6 years in prison on charges of inciting violence against religious minorities; he was convicted of organizing assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists and Pentecostal Evangelists ("Georgia: Defrocked Priest Sentenced For Religious Violence") [#28690], [ID 5130]
"The trial of Basil Mkalavishvili has been under way since last August.
Yesterday, it took three hours for the presiding judge, Temur Tabatadze, to read the verdict. As soon as he finished, cries of protest rose from Mkalavishvili supporters who had crammed into Tbilisi's Vake-Saburtalo district courtroom.
Mkalavishvili, known to his followers as Father Basil, was convicted of violence against Georgia's Christian minority groups and sentenced to six years in jail, including the 10 months he has already served in pretrial custody.
One of his closest associates, Petre Ivanidze, received a four-year jail sentence on similar charges. Another of Mkalavishvili’s followers, identified as Avto Koroshinadze, was sentenced to 12 months in prison for resisting arrest. Four other defendants were released.
Addressing reporters from the dock, Mkalavishvili claimed the court's decision put his life in danger, claiming unspecified groups or individuals were seeking to kill him. "The Prosecutor-General's Office is a nest of Judas. There is no such thing as an [independent] Prosecutor-General's Office, or [an independent] judiciary in Georgia. Everything was done to ensure that I would get six years. I want to warn the press that 'they' are preparing to physically eliminate me. Two attempts have already been made, but now that I am sentenced to six years in jail 'they' will eliminate me physically. I call upon every one to defend the Orthodox faith."
Mkalavishvili’s lawyers, Keti Bekauri and Levan Samushia, denied the charges brought against their client and said they would appeal the sentence. But the international Human Rights Watch nongovernmental organization welcomed the verdict. In a statement released in New York yesterday, the group said, "One of the worst perpetrators of violence against religious minorities in Georgia has finally been brought to justice."
Mkalavishvili was arrested last year in a violent police raid on his self-proclaimed parish in Tbilisi's Gldani district.
Along with members of other Georgian hard-line Orthodox groups -- such as Paata Bluashvili's Jvari (The Cross) -- Mkalavishvili’s supporters are blamed for numerous mob attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses, Baptists, Pentecostal Evangelists, and other Protestant groups throughout the country.
From the late 1990s on, religious hard-liners have been interrupting Protestant religious services, burning non-Orthodox religious literature, ransacking property, and beating up followers of what are generally known in Georgia as "nontraditional" faith groups.
Following one of the most violent onslaughts ever recorded, then President Eduard Shevardnadze in October 1999 appeared on national television to condemn religious violence and order an investigation into Mkalavishvili's activities.
Mkalavishvili was first indicted on minor charges in 2001. But he was not arrested and continued to perform religious services at his Gldani church with no interference by the authorities. Representatives of religious minority groups and human rights activists blame the Georgian police and judiciary for closing their eyes to violence against non-Orthodox groups.
Mkalavishvili and some of his closest associates were eventually arrested in March 2004, following Shevardnadze's ouster and the ascent of a new political leadership."
Document(s):
Open document
01.02.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch
Georgian government has taken an important step toward ending impunity for religious violence as one of the worst perpetrators of violence against religious minorities was brought to justice and sentenced to 6 years in prison ("Georgia: Ex-Priest Jailed for Attacks Against Religious Minorities") [#28664], [ID 5131]
Document(s):
Open document
27.01.2005 - Source: Forum 18
Article on the discussion about means to overcome violence against religious communities ("GEORGIA: How should religious violence legacy be overcome?") [#29313], [ID 5106]
Document(s):
Open document
18.01.2005 - Source: Forum 18
Participants in mob attacks against religious minorities usually escape prosecution; Forum 18 has been unable to discover any prison terms being given to the attackers ("Georgia: Attacks on religious minorities unpunished") [#28955], [ID 5128]
Document(s):
Open document
17.01.2005 - Source: Forum 18
Only small percentage of attacks against religious minorities from 1999 to 2003 covered by trial against defrocked priest Basil Mkalavishvili ("Georgia: Only "very small percentage" of attacks in trial charges") [#28945], [ID 5129]
Document(s):
Open document
13.01.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch
Reports on intimidation and violence against religious minorities significantly reduced; in a positive move against impunity, the police arrested Vasili Mkalavishvili and seven of his followers in March 2004 ("World report 2005") [#28220], [ID 5107]
"During the last four years of the Shevadnadze government, Georgia experienced an increase in religious intolerance towards non-traditional religious groups, including Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Evangelists. These groups faced hate speech and violent attacks by organized groups of Orthodox Christian vigilantes. The state failed to respond adequately, and sometimes even cooperated in the attacks, which consequently became more frequent and pervasive. The attacks and hate speech subsided prior to the November 2003 elections, leading to speculation about how closely the government controlled the violence. In 2004, there were some reports of intimidation and violence against religious minorities, although at significantly reduced levels to previous years. This decrease has improved the environment for freedom of religion.
In a positive move against impunity, the police arrested Vasili Mkalavishvili and seven of his followers in March. Mkalavishvili has led many violent attacks on religious minorities. However, the police used excessive force during the arrest, which was broadcast on television. At this writing, Mkalavishvili remained in custody awaiting trial. The new government has failed to bring to justice the perpetrators of scores of other attacks, and at times, appears to fuel religious intolerance through the use of nationalist rhetoric aimed against “alien influences,” a veiled reference to non-traditional religious groups."
Document(s):
Open document
01.12.2004 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting
23 seminary students signed a letter in which they accused Orthodox Church of abusing its special status in society and call for reforms; signatories angrily denounced by their teachers in the seminary and threatened with expulsion ("Georgian Church Letter Raises Storm") [#27417], [ID 5108]
Document(s):
Open document
15.09.2004 - Source: US Department of State
International Religious Freedom Report 2004 ("International Religious Freedom Report 2004") [#26267], [ID 5109]
"After November 2003, the status of religious freedom improved. Attacks on religious minorities, including violence, seizure of religious literature, and disruption of services and meetings decreased. At times, local police and security officials failed to protect nontraditional religious minority groups. Although police at times failed to respond to continued attacks by Orthodox extremists against members of Jehovah's Witnesses and other nontraditional religious minorities, authorities arrested excommunicated Orthodox priest Father Basil Mkalavishvili in March.
Citizens generally do not interfere with traditional religious groups, such as Orthodox, Muslim, or Jewish; however, there is widespread suspicion of nontraditional religious groups. Although there were incidents in which Orthodox extremists harassed and attacked such groups, especially members of Jehovah's Witnesses, there were fewer incidents during the period covered by this report. Reputable and repeated public opinion polls indicated that a majority of citizens believe minority religious groups (nontraditional groups) are detrimental for the state and that prohibition and outright violence against such groups is acceptable to limit their growth."
Document(s):
Open document
23.08.2004 - Source: Forum 18
Since Saakashvili came to power, political atmosphere concerning religious minorities may have improved, but fundamental obstructions to their activities remain ("Religious freedom survey, August 2004") [#24952], [ID 5110]
"In its survey analysis of religious freedom in Georgia since President Saakashvili came to power, Forum 18 News Service notes fundamental obstructions to the activity of religious minorities, such as the impossibility of building non-Orthodox places of worship. Intolerance of religious freedom continues in society, examples including President Saakashvili's statement that the state "should protect Georgia from harmful alien influence and extremism", vandalism of Catholic graves, demands to remove non-Patriarchal Orthodox literature from bookshops, and the Orthodox Patriarchate's call for a church to be closed to "cleanse" it, after a visit by Anglicans had "desecrated" the church. Religious minority leaders have identified the need to gain legal status, but government ministers contradict each other about whether or not a draft religion law will be produced, Prime Minister Zurab Jvania stating that the public law code should be amended to allow religious organisations to register."
Document(s):
Open document
16.08.2004 - Source: Forum 18
Many attackers against religious minorities are not prosecuted, but no serious assaults by extremists since Saakashvili took over the government ("Will violent attackers of religious minorities be punished?") [#24951], [ID 5111]
Document(s):
Open document
23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Georgia still withourt a law on religion to define the rights and obligations of religious communities; according to many religious minority groups, their situation deteriorated following the signing of the concordat between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the state ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453], [ID 5112]
"Georgia continued to be the only former Soviet republic without a law on religion to define the rights and obligations that religious communities have. The status of the largest religious community, the Georgian Orthodox Church, was regulated by a controversial concordat that it signed with the state in October 2002. This concordat provided it with various privileges, including the right to provide religious education in schools and broad powers to decide on the status of other religious communities. The Catholic Church was expected to be the second religious community to gain legal status through signing an agreement with the state in September 2003. In an embarrassing move, the government abruptly cancelled the signing at the very last minute, apparently under pressure from the Orthodox Patriarchate. The Catholic Church has had great difficulty trying to recover churches confiscated during the Soviet period and handed over to the Orthodox Patriarchate in the 1980s and 1990s.
On a positive note, the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible Society was able to restore its legal status as a non-commercial organization on 28 November.
According to many religious minority groups, their situation deteriorated following the signing of the concordat between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the state. For example, a subject called “Religion and Culture” was introduced as compulsory to school curricula. The classes were taught by Georgian Orthodox teachers. Other religious communities faced difficulties in carrying out their activities and were not able to own property or maintain bank accounts. It was impossible for them to defend their rights as legal entities.
Although the possibility for religious minority communities to carry out activities varied considerably from region to region depending on the attitude of local Orthodox officials, most of them faced problems when attempting to build or open new places of worship. They also had difficulty hiring public and private buildings for worship. In contrast, the Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate was actively building many new churches.
Moreover, lacking legal status, many religious minority groups were not permitted to import religious literature. Complaints were received from Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans, Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses. Local authorities frequently stated that the minority communities would need permission from local Orthodox officials despite the fact that there was no law to this effect. It was also alleged that there was an unwritten rule by Patriarch Ilya that customs officials were to ban the import of religious literature unless they had his express permission. In addition, corrupt customs officials often required bribes to the import religious materials. By the same token, as publishers refused to accept it without the blessing of the Orthodox Patriarchate, for example, the Salvation Army, True Orthodox Church, and Pentecostals faced such problems. In addition, it was believed that many publishers feared mob violence should they agree to print literature for religious minorities.
Religious minorities had virtually no access to state or private media to inform the public about their activities.
Since 1999, members of Georgia's religious minorities, including Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholics and Jehovah's Witnesses, have suffered hundreds of physical attacks from self-appointed Orthodox vigilantes. One of the Orthodox vigilante groups that terrorized minorities was called Jvari. It operated in Rustavi and its surroundings and was responsible for hundreds of attacks on Jehovah’s Witnesses and Protestants. In November, Paata Bluashvili and four other members of the group were sentenced to suspended prison terms for their acts of violence against Jehovah's Witness meetings in Rustavi and Marneuli. Bluashvili also faced a trial for similar violent assaults against two Jehovah's Witnesses but no criminal cases had been launched against him or any of his associates for a string of other attacks they were responsible for.
Vasili Mkalavishvili, a notorious mob leader and defrocked Orthodox priest, who was responsible for brutal attacks against minority religion believers, remained in hiding throughout the year despite an arrest warrant issued in July pending his trial. Mkalavishvili was finally arrested in March 2004. During his arrest, police used excessive force, injuring numerous people. Other attackers continued to go unpunished.
• In May, Bluashvili and six colleagues raided a private flat in Tbilisi where a Pentecostal congregation led by Pastor Nikolai Kalutsky was meeting. Bluashvili warned them that if he caught them meeting again they would be beaten. After that, the self-styled Orthodox vigilantes prevented the Pentecostal congregation from meeting there for months. The local Police Chief, Temur Anjaparidze, banned Kalutsky from using his home for religious services without special permission and warned him that if he did, he would be fined twice the minimum monthly wage.
• On 4 May a mob stopped the Jehovah's Witnesses from holding a congress in the village of Ortasheni near Gori. The mayor of Gori and the police chief warned them not to hold the congress.
• After threats by local Orthodox priest to burn down a Baptist church in Akhalsopeli, in eastern Georgia, the building was wrecked by fire in the early hours of 15 June. The interior burned to ashes.
After the change of government, some religious minorities and human rights activists hoped that the new regime would secure religious freedom and stop violence. It appeared, however, that the new leaders, while generally declaring their commitment to democracy and human rights, avoided using phrases such as “freedom of conscience.”"
Document(s):
Open document
Open document
23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights
Leader of orthodox vigilante group Jvari, Paata Bluashvili, and four other members of the group were sentenced to suspended prison terms in November 2003 for their acts of violence against Jehovah's Witness meetings in Rustavi and Marneuli ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453], [ID 5132]
"Since 1999, members