05.2008 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

General tolerance toward minority religious communities viewed as traditional to Georgia; Georgian media reflect significant societal intolerance towards Protestants and other religions ("Annual Report of the United States Commission in International Religious Freedom") [ID 23305]

Document(s): Open document

12.02.2008 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Wahhabits, especially in Pankisi gorge; repressions by police ("a-5937 (ACC-GEO-5937)") [ID 22345]

Document(s): Open document

18.09.2007 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Catholic priest experienced physical and verbal abuse; he was forced to say he was an Orthodox Christian ("Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region: Incidents and Responses: Annual Report for 2006") [ID 22043]

"

During the reporting period, the religious extremist group David Agmashenebeli Society of Orthodox Parish Protesters organized a protest in front of a building assumed to belong to the Catholic Church. The group used anti-Catholic slogans describing Catholics in abusive and offensive language. In a separate event, a Catholic priest experienced physical and verbal abuse during the presentation of a newly released book at the National Library of Georgia. During the event, members of the David Agmashenebeli Society even forced the priest to say he was an Orthodox Christian."

Document(s): Open document

05.2007 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Religious minority groups face pressure on the part of Georgian Orthodox Church, condoned by government officials; minorities have been prevented from acquiring, building, or reclaiming places of worship ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [ID 20119]

"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. Roman Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the True Orthodox Church reportedly continue to face GOC pressure, condoned by government officials, preventing them from building houses of worship."

Document(s): Open document

02.07.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Dmanisi: According to Orthodox Bishop Zenon of Dmanisi, police carried out an unauthorized search operation in a church; the Interior Ministry first denied the operation but later admitted that the incident took place ("Orthodox Official Condemns Police ‘Raid’ on Church") [ID 15576]

Document(s): Open document

14.03.2006 - Source: Civil Georgia

Georgian orthodox church blames general director of public broadcaster of dismissing employees on religious reasons and banning live broadcast of a christmas liturgy on 7 January; general director denies accusations ("Georgian Orthodox Church Criticizes Chief of Public TV") [#47280],  [ID 5177]

Document(s): Open document

08.03.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Non-traditional religions like Protestants were viewed as cultural threat and were subject to several attacks; Jewish communities faced few problems; property disputes between Georgian Orthodox Church and Armenian Apostolic Church continued ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2005") [#46144],  [ID 5178]

"Societal Abuses and Discrimination

Judaism is practiced in a number of communities throughout the country, particularly in the largest cities, Tbilisi and Kutaisi. [...] The Jewish communities reported they encountered few societal problems. There was no historical pattern of anti-Semitism in the country, nor were there any reported incidents of harassment 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 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.
On January 31, defrocked Orthodox priest Father Basil Mkalavishvili was sentenced to six years' imprisonment on a number of counts related to his inciting and conducting religiously motivated violence. His deputy Petre Ivanidze and follower Merab Koroshinadze were given four- and one-year prison terms, respectively; four others received suspended sentences. [...]
The conservative Orthodox group Society of David the Builder became active in harassing liberal activists within the GOC.
In March neighbors of a Seventh-Day Adventists' worship hall in Rustavi threatened to burn it down if the Adventists held a planned conference. Police only agreed to prevent disruptions to the conference after NGO involvement. During the conference, however, a woman entered the church and verbally harassed the congregation. In a televised report about the incident, GOC priest Zurab Tskhovrebadze warned against Adventists and implied that the religion was un-Christian.
The Russian-language congregation led by Pentecostal pastor Nikolai Kalutsky was subject to many mob attacks, most recently blockades of attempted church services at his home in April. The police did little to protect his church or prosecute those responsible for the attacks. In May the constitutional court ruled that Kalutsky's rights to practice his faith freely were violated by attacks. The MOJ and ombudsman agreed to assist the congregation in finding a new building for services.
Also in May Gaioz Shvangiradze and Ia Bagatelia, leaders of a Pentecostal church that meets in a private home in Orsantia village in Zugdidi district, were summoned by the head of the village administration, Murman Khazalia. Khazalia demanded to see their identity documents and proof of their right to hold services (no such official document exists or is required). He banned services until they could produce the documents and threatened to call in the police and representatives of the GOC. When Khazalia stepped down from his position for health reasons, the services resumed.
[...]
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.
[...]
Several property disputes between the GOC and the Armenian Apostolic Church continued at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Jewish communities reported no incidents or anti-Semitism; there are about 4,000 Jews in the country ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872],  [ID 5179]

"Judaism, which has been present since ancient times, is practiced in a number of communities throughout the country, particularly in the largest cities, Tbilisi and Kutaisi. Approximately 4,000 Jews remain in the country following two large waves of emigration: the first in the early 1970s and the second during perestroyka in the late 1980s. Before then, officials estimate there were approximately 40,000 Jews.
[…]
The Jewish communities reported that they have encountered few societal problems. There was no historical pattern of anti-Semitism in the country, nor were there any reported incidents during the period covered by this report."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Police act sometimes slowly to prevent harrassment against religious minorities ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872],  [ID 5180]

"Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Protestant denominations have become more active and prominent. They include Baptists (composed of Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Ossetian, and Kurdish groups totaling approximately 8,000 adherents); Seventh-day Adventists (local representatives state that there are approximately 350 members); Pentecostals (both Georgian and Russian, estimated at approximately 9,000 adherents); Jehovah's Witnesses (local representatives state that the group has been in the country since 1953 and has approximately 16,000 adherents); and the New Apostolic Church. The number of Mormons in the country is small.
[…]
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.
[...]
Local Orthodox priests and public school teachers vocally criticized minority religions and interfaith marriages. Some also discouraged Orthodox followers from any interaction with students who belonged to Protestant churches. Sometimes teachers ridiculed students who had converted to Protestant faiths, claiming the students converted because they were offered financial benefits.
[…]
In October 2004, a local Orthodox priest and members of his congregation in the eastern village of Velistsikhe verbally and physically threatened a local Baptist deacon, and prevented him from continuing construction on a Baptist church. No criminal investigation was opened. An investigation into the June 2003 arson attack on a Baptist Church in Akhalsopheli remained pending at the end of the period covered by this report. […] In October 2004, local citizens vandalized a Baptist pastor's house in the eastern village of Kuchatani, which was used for worship services. That same month, in the southern town of Bolnisi, the front door of a Lutheran church was vandalized and written threats were posted to the door.
[…]
In October 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the Russian-language Pentecostal congregation headed by Pastor Nikolai Kalutski. In 2003, protestors blockaded Kalutski's home in Tbilisi for several weeks to prevent his congregation from attending worship services. In response, local police banned the use of the private home for religious services. The Constitutional Court ruled that the congregation's rights had been violated by the police ban and ordered the police to protect the congregation from neighbors' and others' threats. Since then, the police have been relatively responsive in protecting the congregation. However, in April and May, in the face of continued neighbor protests, the Ombudsman agreed to help the congregation find a more suitable worship place. The Ministry of Justice has since begun consultations with the congregation to this end."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Armenian Apostolic Church is the third largest religious group; most problems of Armenian Apostolic Church with Georgian Orthodox Church stem from property disputes relating to return of their churches after fall of Soviet period ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872],  [ID 5181]

"The Armenian Apostolic Church is the third largest religious group. Approximately 3.9 percent of the population belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church. All other religious groups constitute less than one percent of the population each.
[…]
Many problems among traditional religious groups stem from property disputes. The Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches have been unable to secure the return of their churches and other facilities that were closed during the Soviet period, many of which later were given to the GOC by the State. The prominent Armenian church in Tbilisi, Norashen, remains closed, as do four other smaller Armenian churches in Tbilisi and one in Akhaltsikhe. The Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches, as well as Protestant denominations, have had difficulty obtaining permission to construct new churches, reportedly in part as a result of pressure from the GOC. GOC authorities have accused Armenian believers of purposely altering some existing Georgian churches so that they would be mistaken for Armenian churches. Armenian representatives accuse Georgian believers of the same activities."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Relations between Sunni and Shi`ite Muslims are very good; relations between Muslims and Christains are also quite good ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38872],  [ID 5182]

"Approximately 9.9 percent of the population is nominally Muslim. There are three main Muslim populations: Ethnic Azeris, ethnic Georgian Muslims of Ajara, and ethnic Chechen Kists in northeastern Georgia. There are four large madrassahs (Muslim religious schools) attached to mosques in eastern Georgia, two of which are Shi'ite and financed by Iranian religious groups, and two of which are Sunni and financed by Turkish religious groups. There are also several smaller madrassahs in Ajara that are financed by Turkey.
[…]Relations between Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims are very good. Since the fall of 1996, Sunni and Shi'a have worshipped together in Tbilisi's mosque. Relations between Muslims and Christians are also quite good."

Document(s): Open document

16.09.2005 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Members of Georgia’s ethnic Azeri minority concerned that Iranian missionaries efforts would lead to divisions and conflict within their community ("Iranian Missionary Work Questioned") [#36846],  [ID 5183]

Document(s): Open document

19.05.2005 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

As of early 2005, Baptist community in Velitskikhe were unable to continue building a home of their deacon because of continuing threats whenever they attempt to begin ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2005 (Events of 2004)") [#32106],  [ID 5184]

"A small Baptist congregation in Velitskikhe faced fierce opposition in November from local residents as they tried to erect a home for their deacon. The Gurjaani district governor reportedly arrived in the middle of a demonstration on 8 November and reportedly told the Baptists that, although he respected them, the authorities could not go against the will of the people, despite the fact that the Baptists have official permission to build. As of early 2005, the Baptists were unable to continue building because of continuing threats whenever they attempt to begin"

Document(s): Open document

05.2005 - Source: US Commission on International Religious Freedom

Assyrian Chaldean Catholics, Lutherans, Muslims, Old Believers, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Roman Catholics state that Georgian Orthodox Patriarcahte prevented them from having places of worship; other religious minorities were also denied permission to print religious literature ("Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom") [#32066],  [ID 5185]

"In September 2003, the Roman Catholic Church failed to gain legal status in Georgia when the Georgian government suddenly cancelled plans to sign an agreement with the Vatican. The leaders of many other religious minority groups also seek 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 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that are registered with the government as NGOs or as individual members of the community.

[...]
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."

Document(s): Open document

15.03.2005 - Source: UN Human Rights Council (formerly UN Commission on Human Rights)

Local Baptist deacon reportedly banned by the police in Velistsikhe in mid-October 2004 from building a small home following opposition by other villagers who claimed he would use the home to hold Baptist services ("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 5186]

"123. On 10 November 2004, the Special Rapporteur transmitted a communication to the Government of Georgia regarding the case of Zurab Khutsishvili, a local Baptist deacon, who was reportedly banned by the police in Velistsikhe in mid-October 2004 from building a small home following opposition by other villagers who claimed he would use the home to hold Baptist services. Mr. Khutsishvili had reportedly been in charge of the village congregation of some 25 Baptists for the previous four years. He obtained planning permission to build the house on land he owned in the village. Reports indicated that, as soon as he started to build the house, neighbours, allegedly encouraged by a young Orthodox priest, called the police who arrived soon after and threatened Mr. Khutsishvili with expulsion from the village. It was further reported that two fellow Baptists helping him build the house were beaten by local villagers at the end of October."

Document(s): Open document

14.01.2005 - Source: Forum 18

Gurjaani District: Governor denies to agitate against independent Baptist congregation; attacks on Baptist congregation in other part of Georgia continue; no religious minorty believes they can openly build places of worship until they gain legal status ("Who incites anti-Baptist village mobs?") [#28276],  [ID 5187]

Document(s): Open document

23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Signing of agreement between Catholic Church and State abruptly cancelled at the very last minute ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453],  [ID 5188]

"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."

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Open document

23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Many religious minority groups were not permitted to import religious literature, including Baptists, Pentecostals, Lutherans, Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453],  [ID 5189]

"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."

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Open document

23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Meeting of Pentecostal congregation in Tbilisi raided by Bluashvili (Jvari) in May 2003; Bluashvili warned them that if he caught them meeting again they would be beaten ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453],  [ID 5190]

"• 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."

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23.04.2004 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

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 ("Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia and North America, Report 2004 (Events of 2003)") [#21453],  [ID 5191]

"• 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"

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24.02.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Report focused on religious intolerance, freedom of assembly and expression, torture in prisons and the situation of internally displaced, refugees and Meskhetian refugees ("Agenda for Reform: Human Rights Priorities after the Georgian Revolution") [#19671],  [ID 5192]

"Throughout the last four years, religious intolerance and violent attacks on adherents of non-traditional religious groups, such as Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Evangelists, and Pentacostals, by organized groups of Orthodox vigilantes became a serious problem in Georgia. In most cases police failed to provide effective protection to the victims of violence, and in some, even participated in the attacks. As the state failed to respond adequately, mob attacks became steadily more frequent and pervasive, spreading from Tbilisi to many other regions throughout Georgia. The Shevardnadze government also failed to take significant action against hate speech directed against religious minorities. These included the frequent public and widely broadcasted fulminations by Vasili Mkalavishvili, the leader of many of the violent attacks, in which he incited violence against these minorities. There were no reports of incidents of violence against religious minorities since the lead-up to the November 2 parliamentary elections.27 However, many fear that it will return unless the new government clearly signals that perpetrators of such attacks will be prosecuted."

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22.07.2003 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Statements of interview partners with regard to the situation of protestant churches ("Reisebericht Georgien 18. - 25. Mai 2003") [#14436],  [ID 5193]

"Während Moslems und Angehörige der jüdischen Glaubensgemeinschaft generell keine
Probleme hätten, hätten andere evangelikale Kirchen nach Ansicht der UNAG mit ähnlichen
Schwierigkeiten wie die AnhängerInnen der Zeugen Jehovas zu kämpfen. Was die
katholische Kirche betreffe, handle es sich bei den Problemen in Südgeorgien um einen
institutionalisierten Konflikt infolge mehrerer Grundstücksstreitigkeiten."

Document(s): Open document

21.11.2002 - Source:

IWPR: Georgia's "French" Keep Faith in Catholicism ("21/11/2002 - IWPR: Georgia's") [ID 5194]

Document(s): 21/11/2002 - IWPR: Georgia's

03.2002 - Source: University of California Berkeley - Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies

Concerns on growing influx of arabic culture in Pankisi region ("Georgia's Pankisi Gorge: An Ethnographic Survey") [#37322],  [ID 5195]

"From 1996 to 2001, four new mosques were built in the Kist villages of Pankisi. The financing came from Arabia. The biggest mosque stands in the village of Duisi near the middle school bearing the name of its founder and prominent Kist educator, Usup Margoshvili. Additionally, an Islamic college and an Arabic school were opened in Duisi. With the help of the school`s director and a locally-based NGO, fifty children have been sent from Pankisi to Arabic countries to be educated. Today, there are classes in Arabic in every Kist village of the Pankisi Gorge. This situation is rather troublesome for the older generation, the majority of whom were educated in the Georgian and Russian languages. They fear that the Kists of Pankisi will lose their distinctive ethnic character. Arabic culture is foreign to them. Consequently, the population of Pankisi is demanding the Georgian government not to grant official status to Arabic, which would make it a required subject in the regions schools. For the older generation, this danger seems very real.

[...]
Another important issue was the creation of a traditional Muslim (shariat) court in the village of Duisi, which provoked considerable controversy. For the majority of population, this court seemed very strange and unwelcome. As reported in the Black Sea Press in January 2002, the decision to establish the court was made in order to combat criminality in the Gorge. Shariat courts are now quite common in Chechnya, but this is the first time one has been introduced in the Pankisi region of Georgia. A Qadi , or Muslim holy man, executes the functions of judge. He and his assistants periodically meet in the mosque of Duisi to investigate criminal activity. This shariat court has the right to make arrests, to order beatings, and to impose the death penalty. It can also impose other punishments."

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02.10.2001 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch: Group violence against Christian worshippers of non-Orthodox faiths is escalating ("Georgia: Challenge Shevardnadze on religious violence") [#4206],  [ID 5196]

Document(s): 02129geo.htm
Open document