The July-December 2010 International Religious Freedom Report
The July-December 2010 International Religious Freedom Report
GEORGIA
The constitution and
other laws and policies protect religious freedom and, in practice, the
government generally enforced these protections. There were reports of
isolated incidents including concerns regarding the ability of members
of minority religions in penitentiaries to worship and a lack of action
by government entities in regards to licensing applications made by
members of minority religions.
The government generally respected
religious freedom in law and in practice. There was no change in the
status of respect for religious freedom by the government during the
reporting period. As in the previous reporting period, the
implementation of new policies to further promote religious freedom
slowed. Systemic problems remained largely unchanged, such as the return
and maintenance of disputed church property claimed by religious
minority groups and currently held by government entities, legal
registration of religious denominations, and unequal legal frameworks.
However, the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance took steps
during the reporting period to make access to penitentiary institutions
equitable for representatives of all religious confessions and to
provide for religious worship by inmates of all confessions.
There
were continued reports of societal abuses and discrimination based on
religious affiliation, belief, or practice. In the occupied region of
Abkhazia, which remained out of the control of the government, members
of the Muslim community were killed by unknown assailants. The public
defender noted that the number of cases of harassment during the
reporting period dropped significantly after the courts in August
sentenced eight men, associated with a radical Georgian Orthodox group
accused of harassment in the past, to substantial prison sentences for
hooliganism and obstructing the work of a journalist. Prominent societal
leaders took positive steps to promote religious freedom, including the
president, the public defender, the then-minister of reintegration, and
the leader of the opposition party Christian Democratic Movement.
The
U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part
of its overall policy to promote human rights. The embassy hosted and
participated in events to promote religious freedom and human rights.
The U.S. mission launched a program to strengthen civil society in the
country, which includes organizations that promote human rights and
tolerance. Embassy representatives frequently met with religious and
nongovernmental organization (NGO) leaders to promote religious freedom.
Section I. Religious Demography
The
country has an area of 26,911 square miles and a population of 4.6
million, including the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
De facto authorities in the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia, supported by several thousand occupying Russian troops,
remained outside the control of the central government. There are strong
correlations between ethnic groups and religious affiliation, as well
as geographic area.
Most ethnic Georgians (84 percent of the
population, according to the 2002 census) associate with the Georgian
Orthodox Church (GOC). Orthodox Christians who are not Georgian accept
the territorial jurisdiction of the GOC and generally use the primary
language of their communicants (for example, Russian, Armenian, or
Greek). There remain a small number of mostly ethnic Russian adherents
of three dissident Orthodox schools: the Molokani, Staroveriy (Old
Believers), and Dukhoboriy (Spirit Wrestlers). Also present are radical
Georgian Orthodox groups, such as Society of Saint David the Builder,
Union of Orthodox Parents, and People's Orthodox Christian Movement.
According to the patriarchy, these groups are not associated with the
GOC.
The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), the Roman Catholic
Church (RCC), Judaism, and Islam have coexisted with Georgian Orthodoxy
for centuries. Azeris constitute the second largest ethnic group
(approximately 285,000, or 7 percent of the population) and are largely
Muslim; most live in the southeastern region of Kvemo-Kartli, where they
constitute a majority. Other Muslim groups include the ethnic Georgian
Muslims of Ajara and Chechen Kists in the northeastern region, bringing
Muslims to 10 percent of the population. Armenians are the third largest
ethnic group (estimated at 249,000, or 6 percent of the population) and
belong predominantly to the AAC; they constitute the majority of the
population in the southern Samtskhe-Javakheti region.
There are
an estimated 35,000 Catholics, largely ethnic Georgians or Assyrians,
and 18,000 Kurdish Yezidis. The ethnic Greek Orthodox community numbers
15,000. There are an estimated 10,000 Jews.
Protestant and other
nontraditional denominations such as Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses,
Pentecostals, and Krishnas have become more active and prominent. Each
of these groups represents less than 1 percent of the population.
Section II. Status of Government Respect for Freedom of Religion
Legal/Policy Framework
Please
refer to Appendix C in the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
for the status of the government's acceptance of international legal
standards
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/appendices/index.htm.
The
constitution and other laws and policies protect religious freedom and,
in practice, the government generally enforced these protections. The
constitution recognizes the special role of the GOC in the country's
history but also stipulates the independence of church from state. A
2002 concordat between the government and the GOC conveys unique status
upon the GOC; the government does not have a concordat signed with any
other religious group.
The criminal code specifically prohibits
interference with worship services, persecution of a person based on
religious faith or belief, and interference with the establishment of a
religious organization. Violations of these prohibitions are punishable
by a fine, imprisonment, or both; violations committed by a public
officer or official are considered abuses of power and are punishable by
higher fines or longer terms of imprisonment.
The Prosecutor
General's Office (PGO) is charged with prosecuting human rights
violations, including religious freedom violations. The Human Rights
Unit within the PGO is tasked with monitoring the protection of some
human rights including religious freedom. The Public Defender's Office
(PDO), which serves as the human rights ombudsman, also monitors
complaints of restrictions on religious freedom. However, the PDO and
some minority religious groups, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses,
expressed some dissatisfaction with the lack of investigative follow-up
in some cases. The PDO reported that, during the reporting period, it
categorized 10 complaints as relating to religious freedom, including
cases of physical assault and harassment.
Under a 2006 law,
religious groups other than the GOC may register with the government as
noncommercial, nonprofit, legal entities to receive legal status and tax
benefits. However, there is no option for registering as a religious
organization. Registration is a function of the tax department of the
Ministry of Finance, which must grant or deny registration within three
days of application. A refusal may be appealed in court. There were no
reports of any groups being refused registration during the reporting
period. According to government statistics, there were approximately 20
religious organizations registered as legal entities as allowed under
the law. Some religious groups expressed dissatisfaction with having to
register as such an entity instead of as a religious group to receive
legal status and tax benefits.
The Law on General Education
specifically provides for freedom of religious belief, denomination, and
conscience, including the right to choose and change any religious
denomination at will.
A 2005 law separating state schools and
religious teaching narrowed the interpretation of the government
concordat with the GOC regarding teaching Orthodoxy as an elective part
of the school curriculum. The law states that such Orthodox teaching may
take place only after school hours and cannot be controlled by the
school or teachers. Outside instructors, including clergy, cannot
regularly attend or direct student extracurricular activities or student
clubs and their meetings. Lay theologians, rather than priests, led
such activities.
The government observes the following religious
holidays as national holidays: Orthodox Christmas, Epiphany, Good
Friday, Orthodox Easter, Easter Monday, the Day of Apostle Andrew, the
Day of the Virgin Mary, Svetitskhovloba, and Saint George's Day. The
president declared Nowruz-Bairam, celebrated by the ethnic Azeri Muslim
population, a national holiday on March 21.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The
government generally respected religious freedom in law and in
practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious
freedom by the government during the reporting period. At the same time,
religious groups other than the GOC complained that they did not have
equal legal status, were not recognized officially as religions, and did
not enjoy the same privileges as the GOC. Minority religious groups
noted that local police did not always respond promptly to their
complaints during the year. At year's end, police and prosecutorial
investigations of many such complaints remained incomplete.
Jehovah's
Witnesses reported that before 2008, the Prosecutor's Office generally
qualified attacks against them as religiously motivated cases, but that
recently such attacks were predominantly qualified as hooliganism by
prosecutorial investigators, and thus fall under a different category of
criminal offense entailing lighter punishments. They reported that
often cases categorized as hooliganism were not treated with the same
seriousness as those categorized as religious attacks; often those
investigations were not concluded. During the year Jehovah's Witnesses
reported 12 new cases of societal abuses against them; there was no
response by investigators in six of the cases. Jehovah's Witnesses
reported that patrol police generally responded to their calls
adequately.
Minority religious groups also complained that many
licensing and permit decisions for buildings and construction, required
to be made by government entities, that involved their confessions or
members of their confession were often delayed. Some permit decisions
remained pending at year's end.
Representatives from the Muslim
community reported that in the region of Bolnisi, the local authorities
issued a permit for the completion of a mosque, which was reported
previously as having been delayed due to the intervention of a radical
Georgian Orthodox group. However, in a separate building issue in
Tbilisi, the construction permit for a Muslim cultural center had not
been issued by year's end.
The 2002 concordat between the GOC and the
state defines relations between the two entities. The concordat
contains several controversial articles, such as giving the patriarch
legal immunity; granting the GOC the exclusive right to staff the
military chaplaincy; exempting GOC clergymen from military service; and
giving the GOC a unique consultative role in government, especially in
the sphere of education. However, many of the controversial articles
required parliament to adopt implementing legislation, which was not
done by the end of the reporting period. The GOC has a line item in the
government budget; it received 25.3 million lari ($13.3 million) during
the year and expected to receive the same amount in 2011.
The
Jewish community has been registered as a legal entity for several
years, not because it preferred this designation, but because the
designation allowed it to repair a synagogue. While the synagogue was
not returned to the Jewish community's ownership, the government leased
it to the community for the symbolic price of one lari ($.54) per month.
The ability to "lease" the property satisfied investors willing to fund
repair work.
The AAC has refused to register as a legal entity,
which left it without legal identity. The RCC has registered parts of
its community to have legal control over its properties. This
registration arrangement gave it physical control over some church
buildings and relieved it from the former practice of having to register
its religious entities in an individual's name. Nonetheless, the RCC
was careful to underline its discontent with the registration options
that "deny dignity." Baptists and Jehovah's Witnesses shared this
complaint.
Government authorities argued that the registration
law provided an adequate balance between the demands of religious
minorities and the desire to safeguard the special status of the GOC.
The government contended that creating a specific status for religious
groups would result in unnecessary controversy between groups over what
definition was to be adopted and that the registration law effectively
leads to equal treatment. In the government's view, the registration law
was religion-neutral since its principal concern was only whether an
organization was for-profit or not-for-profit. Registered religious
groups received substantially the same legal protection of their
property rights and tax status as the GOC.
On March 12, a memorandum
was signed between the GOC and the Ministry of Corrections and Legal
Assistance (MCLA) wherein the sides agreed to cooperate on assigning
socially useful labor as a form of punishment to prisoners, including
the implementation of this work in churches and monasteries. No other
religious organization had such an agreement with the government.
According to the MCLA, the GOC plays a role in selecting prisoners for
this alternative punishment program.
Under an agreement between
the MCLA and GOC, any non-Georgian Orthodox clergy who wished to visit a
prisoner needed to first seek permission from the GOC before they could
visit the prison. However, the MCLA amended this policy on December 30;
it no longer requires that clergy seek the permission of the GOC.
While
there are Georgian Orthodox chapels in most prisons, there are no
specific nondenominational areas for worship. Representatives from
religious minority confessions complained that prisoners of minority
faiths were not given adequate areas within the penitentiaries to
practice their religious beliefs. Muslim leaders said that prisoners
from their community had their prayer beads and Qur'ans removed by
prison officials. During the Muslim holy day of Bajram (September 9),
Muslim leaders said prisoners from their community were kept in general
cells with other inmates who were smoking, making worship impossible.
However,
a new order issued on December 10, under article 2 of the code of
imprisonment, explicitly provides for the religious worship of the
accused and convicted, including the ability to meet with clergy of any
confession, have worship space, and enjoy the right to have religious
items.
During the previous reporting period, there were some
complaints in connection with the process of postponement of mandatory
military service when an Adventist did not address the relevant agency
in a timely manner with a request for alternative service and was,
therefore, required to serve mandatory military service. According to
the PDO, the Adventist completed mandatory military service, not
alternative service. However, he benefited from certain privileges due
to his religious beliefs, including being relieved from duty on
Saturdays for worship.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported that during the
year four of their members, including three ministers, were fined for
not reporting to local military authorities after being drafted for
service in the reserves. Jehovah's Witnesses said that the fines were
unjustified because the persons had reported to the local military
office when called and had submitted all the documentation necessary for
affirming their religious affiliation and for requesting to be freed
from military service. However, according to Jehovah's Witnesses, the
military commissioners reported that the documentation was never
presented. In the last week of December, Jehovah's Witnesses sent
letters to the Ministry of Defense appealing the fines.
Except for
the GOC, restitution of property confiscated during the communist regime
remained a contentious issue. During the reporting period, the
government did not return any additional churches, mosques, synagogues,
or meeting halls. A church in Rabati, in the Akhaltsikhe region, was
returned to the RCC in December 2009. By the end of the reporting
period, reconstruction had begun. The RCC was not given ownership of the
church, but it was able to "lease" the church for a symbolic price for
the next 100 years. The main mosque and two synagogues in Tbilisi were
operated by their respective religious communities, but they remained
state property.
Restoration continued on GOC churches previously
returned, in part with government subsidies, on the grounds that the
buildings were national cultural heritage sites. The government has
provided subsidies for the maintenance and preservation of mosques on
similar grounds. Other minority religious groups claimed that the
government did not provide funding on a neutral and equitable basis. The
AAC complained that its church in Tbilisi, which AAC leaders said
serves 100,000 congregants, had not received funding because the AAC
refused to register with the government. The Ministry of Culture stated
that it cannot fund a renovation project if the church has no legally
registered owner.
RCC and AAC officials believed that property
disputes were not resolved in a transparent legal process but rather on a
case-by-case basis that distinctly favored GOC claims. They claimed
that the government was unwilling to resolve disputes over the ownership
of disputed church properties for fear of offending GOC constituents.
NGOs and members of religious minority groups were also concerned about
the maintenance of churches whose title was held by government entities
while ownership remained in dispute. Many of the properties were not
being maintained and were falling into disrepair.
The AAC's main
concern remained the return of five churches in Tbilisi, including
Norashen church claimed by both the AAC and GOC and closed since 1995,
and one in Akhaltsikhe. However, the status of at least 30 other
churches claimed by the AAC remained in dispute.
In November 2009
a disputed church claimed by the AAC collapsed in Tbilisi. The church
was used as a warehouse during the Soviet era. The church did not reopen
after the country's independence, when title to the property passed to
the Ministry of Culture. The AAC released a statement accusing the
government and the GOC of failing to preserve Armenian holy sites. The
Tbilisi municipality began cleaning up the site during the previous
reporting period. On July 26, the Ministry of Culture began preparatory
explorations of the site and dedicated 47,259 lari ($26,700) to
restoration planning. However, the AAC reported that no further action
was taken on the church's restoration by year's end.
The RCC, the
AAC, and several Protestant denominations continued to have difficulty
obtaining permission to construct new churches, due to the reluctance of
local authorities to issue building permits that could antagonize local
GOC officials.
According to the akhund (spiritual leader) of the
Tbilisi mosque Juma, permission to build a community center on private
land belonging to a community member remained pending with city
authorities at year's end. However, the regional government authorities
issued the permit to finish the restoration of a mosque in an
ethnic-Azeri village in the Bolnisi district (see section III). Muslims
in Ajara also were unsuccessful in regaining ownership of their
pre-Soviet era properties. Local officials were unresponsive to repeated
requests for the return of the mosques. However, according to a local
Muslim leader in Ajara, almost all the mosques were functioning despite
lack of ownership by the Muslim community. The public defender noted
that during the year several Muslim organizations in Ajara were able to
register themselves in the region. Obtaining registration had been
difficult for them in previous years.
The former mosque located
in the village of Mukhaestate in the Kobuleti region was occupied by
local police (in August the mosque was demolished and a new police
building constructed in its place), while another mosque in the town of
Kobuleti "hosted" a dancing studio. In the Adigeni district, there were
approximately seven mosques built by Meskhetian Muslims that were
inactive and were being used by others to keep their cattle. The Muslim
community (composed mostly of migrants from Ajara) was not able to
reclaim those mosques. Meskhetians who returned to the town of
Abastumani also requested return of their mosque.
Minority
religious groups, including Jehovah's Witnesses, continued to report
difficulties obtaining permits to build or occupy houses of worship or
to regain control of facilities confiscated during the communist era,
although the group no longer considered it necessary to hold services in
private homes for security reasons.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported
that during the year they received five permits for the construction of
kingdom halls (places of worship). Four permits were issued to
individuals from the community and not to Jehovah's Witnesses as an
organization. One permit was issued to Jehovah's Witnesses as an
organization for the construction of a community building in Tbilisi.
Jehovah's Witnesses applied for permits in the name of individual
members because in the past they encountered problems including delays
and protests by the local community where they intend to build. At
year's end Jehovah's Witnesses had not received an occupancy permit for
the newly built administrative building in Tbilisi. They reported that
the permit was delayed despite having met all the requirements of the
city municipality. During the year Jehovah's Witnesses filed three new
construction permit requests, and at year's end all three were pending.
Jehovah's
Witnesses continued to have problems with its construction plans for
property bought in Tbilisi. The group filed the necessary documents with
the Mayor's Office, but permission was denied. In 2008 Jehovah's
Witnesses filed an appeal against the Tbilisi municipal administration
for denying construction permission. In February 2009 the Administrative
Court ruled in favor of the group; the defendants appealed that
decision. On February 23, Jehovah's Witnesses again filed a request for a
construction permit with the Tbilisi municipality. On August 5, they
received the permit but had not begun construction by year's end.
Jehovah's
Witnesses reported several problems in the construction of a kingdom
hall in Zugdidi, including problems with government construction
permits. On July 28, the Zugdidi District Court ruled in favor of
Jehovah's Witnesses. On October 15, they received the occupancy permit
for this kingdom hall.
Jehovah's Witnesses leaders stated that in the
past they were denied access to halls that seated more than 200
persons. They did not attempt to rent or seek access to large halls
during the reporting period.
The PDO reported continuing problems
with teachers reinforcing Orthodox theology through classroom prayer
and the display of icons and other religious symbols in schools. The
public defender characterized this problem as especially common in
Ajara, where Muslim students were frequently the target of religious
pressure from Orthodox teachers. The Ministry of Education has a General
Inspection Department to deal with complaints of inappropriate teacher
behavior, including violations of the religious freedom of students.
There
were no official reports made to the PDO that public school teachers or
local Orthodox priests had criticized minority religious groups and
interfaith marriages or ridiculed Catholic and Protestant students.
However, representatives from the non-GOC confessions and the PDO's
Tolerance Center continued to believe that such problems persisted
despite the lack of official reports.
School staff assumed a
child was Orthodox Christian unless they were made aware otherwise,
which can then be the source of difficulty at school. For this reason
members of religious minority groups remarked that parents found the
school environment better for their children if their household did not
announce its religious affiliation in its community.
In November
2009 the government began an investigation into a series of videos
posted on Facebook because they allegedly insulted the GOC patriarch.
Prosecutors detained and released two individuals and seized computer
equipment and videos during the investigation. NGOs and civil society
representatives criticized the investigation, stating that it restricted
free speech. Later in November 2009 the PDO called on the Ministry of
Internal Affairs and the PGO to state publicly under which article of
the criminal code the investigation had been launched. According to PDO
representative, they did not receive a response to their letter of
inquiry. According to the Ministry of Justice, an investigation was
launched into an alleged act of persecution, a crime envisaged under the
criminal code, and at year's end, no one had been charged and the
investigation continued.
The occupied territories of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia remained outside the control of the central government,
and reliable information from those regions was difficult to obtain. A
1995 decree issued by the Abkhaz leader that banned Jehovah's Witnesses
in the region remained in effect. Jehovah's Witnesses leaders in
undisputed Georgia did not possess current information regarding the
situation in Abkhazia.
After several attacks on members of the Muslim
community in Abkhazia (see section III), the media reported that on
November 2, Vyacheslav Chirikba, "chief" of the de facto foreign policy
department of the "presidential" administration, condemned the attacks
but called for relevant government agencies to monitor the spiritual
life of the state. He was quoted as saying that "we cannot embrace
various religious sects. This in particular applies to the penetration
of political Islam, Wahhabism, as well as extremist Christian sects, and
so on, into Abkhazia."
Baptists, Lutherans, and Roman Catholics
reported that they were allowed to operate in Abkhazia, but the GOC
reported that it was unable to do so. In 2008 the Russian Holy Synod
passed a resolution officially recognizing the GOC's jurisdiction over
the dioceses in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. However, in September 2009
the Abkhaz Orthodox Church declared "independence" from the GOC. On
December 22, the GOC announced that jurisdiction for the Abkhaz diocese
would fall directly under the patriarch.
In South Ossetia GOC
adherents remained unable to hold services in GOC churches located near
the ethnic Georgian villages of Nuli, Eredvi, Monasteri, and Gera
because these areas were under the control of de facto South Ossetian
authorities. Individuals living outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia faced
difficulties crossing the administrative boundaries and, therefore,
were limited in their ability to visit the gravesites of family members
inside the territories, especially in South Ossetia. Some visits were
allowed on an inconsistent basis, especially on religious holidays.
During
his speech on International Tolerance Day on November 16, Public
Defender Giorgi Tugushi highlighted ongoing problems, including the
unresolved ownership status of many churches confiscated from various
religious communities during the Soviet period, and acts of aggression
by radical Georgian Orthodox groups including the Union of Orthodox
Parents and the People's Orthodox Movement. However, Tugushi also noted
some areas of improvement, including the successful registration of
several Muslim organizations in Ajara and the restoration of a Roman
Catholic Church in the Akhaltsikhe Region. In addition the PDO
underscored that as of November 16 there had not been a single complaint
of ethnic or religious discrimination.
Abuses of Religious Freedom
There have been reports of abuses of religious freedom in the country in the past, but none during the reporting period.
Jehovah's
Witnesses reported an incident in Tbilisi in July 2009 of harassment
and physical violence against a member of the community allegedly
involving a police officer. The individual filed a complaint, and the
investigation was pending at the end of the reporting period. Jehovah's
Witnesses reported that they did not receive any information on the
results of the investigation at year's end.
There were no reports of abuses, including religious prisoners or detainees in the country.
Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom
On
October 4, government representatives attended a conference on the
legal status of religious organizations in the country attended by
representatives from almost all the religious confessions. On November
16, the public defender marked international tolerance day honoring
civil society actors and organizations working in the field and reported
on the state of tolerance in the country. He reported that during the
year several Muslim organizations were able to register in the region of
the Ajara Autonomous Republic, which had been a problem in the past. He
noted that the number of reported attacks on religious minorities to
the PDO decreased from more than 25 in 2009 to 10 during the year.
In
July members of the Protestant-evangelical religious community were
able to rent a large-scale venue, host an event, and advertise on major
broadcast channels for the first time.
On August 12, the
government convicted eight men, affiliated with a radical Georgian
Orthodox group, of hooliganism and obstructing the work of journalists
in a May incident at Kavkasia TV (see section III). The men were
sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
On December 2,
the president, then-minister of reintegration, a vice-speaker of
parliament, and various other government representatives attended an
event marking the lighting of the second Hanukkah candle. On December
13, the PDO organized a meeting of the religious council including
representatives from almost all the religious confessions and the
government to discuss the latest challenges in the field. On December
25, the president attended Christmas services at the Roman Catholic
Church in Tbilisi and stated, "I want to assure you that each of you
should count on the support, love, and assistance of the Georgian
state." He also attended service during the Armenian Apostolic Christmas
celebration.
An order issued on December 10 under article 2 of the
code of imprisonment explicitly provides for the religious worship of
the accused or convicted. On December 30, the Ministry of Corrections
and Legal Assistance amended a policy to no longer require that
representatives from minority religious confessions seek the permission
of the Georgian Orthodox Church before attending to members of their
community in prison.
Section III. Status of Societal Actions Affecting Enjoyment of Religious Freedom
There
were continued reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on
religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There were reports of fatal
violence against the Muslim community in the occupied region of
Abkhazia, which remains outside the control of the Georgian government.
Some persons viewed minority religious groups as a threat to the
national church and the country's cultural values.
According to the
Ministry of Internal Affairs, during the year two investigations were
opened under article 155 of the criminal code, illegal interference into
performing religious rites, and 22 cases were opened under article 156,
religious persecution.
On July 10, the media reported, and a NGO
working in the area confirmed, that an improvised explosive device was
found beneath the vehicle of the imam of Sukhumi in Abkhazia, Saalikha
Kvaratskhelia. On July 17, the media reported on the shooting death of
Emik Chakmach-Ogly, a member of the Spiritual Board of Muslims in
Abkhazia. On October 8, there were reports of more attacks in the
occupied region reportedly one man was killed and two others wounded as
attackers fired on a group standing outside a building used by the
Muslim community in Abkhazia as a mosque. At year's end there were no
reports of suspects named or arrests made.
On July 20, the media
reported, and leaders in the Muslim community in Tbilisi confirmed they
had heard similar reports, that in the Pankisi Gorge, in a region which
borders Russia, Chechen Wahhabis clashed with the local Islamic
community, culminating in the destruction of a traditional prayer house.
In
an interview on August 30, Elizbar Javelidze, a former Tbilisi State
University professor and a member of the radical Georgian Orthodox group
Public Orthodox Movement, reportedly said that English-language
teachers recruited from other countries by the Ministry of Education
were part of a program aimed at destroying the Georgian culture,
traditions, and religion, particularly since none, he claimed, were of
the Orthodox Christian faith. In an interview on August 28, another
Tbilisi State University professor Merab Jibladze reportedly said the
teachers were members of a Satanist sect.
On May 7, a discussion
on Kavkasia TV's program Barieri (Barrier) between leaders of two
radical Georgian Orthodox groups and supporters degenerated into a
fistfight. On August 12, eight men, affiliated with the radical Georgian
Orthodox groups, who were involved in the incident were found guilty of
hooliganism and obstructing the work of journalists. The men were
sentenced to four years and six months in prison.
Representatives
of the Muslim community reported that they believed the permit for
construction of their community center was being delayed because of a
petition filed with the Tbilisi municipality by the Union of Orthodox
Parents (see section 2.b.).
In September 2009 representatives
from radical Georgian Orthodox groups prevented repairs on a mosque in a
traditionally ethnic-Azeri village. Representatives from the Muslim
community reported that during the reporting period the local
authorities issued a construction permit for the mosque restoration.
Construction was concluding at year's end, despite the vigil kept by the
radical group to prevent work on the mosque.
During the year
Jehovah's Witnesses reported 12 new cases of societal abuses against
them: one case was closed by the court following an agreement between
the parties; one case was closed after the defendant signed a document
promising not to insult Jehovah's Witnesses again; four cases were
closed after the courts supported the conclusion of the police that no
crime had been committed; and there was no response in the remaining six
cases.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported that in the past, owners of
large facilities would not rent to them. They did not attempt to rent
large halls during the reporting period.
The RCC reported that in the
southern region of Adigeni, as well as in the city of Akhaltsikhe,
Roman Catholics faced a hostile environment.
The PDO reported
that it was approached 10 times by religious minorities concerning
possible instances of violations of their rights during the year. Police
were quick to respond to incidents of abuse but slower to pursue
investigations.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S.
government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of
its overall policy to promote human rights .The U.S. embassy engaged
with religious communities from all faiths. Embassy officials, including
the ambassador, frequently met with representatives of parliament,
religious groups and leaders, and NGOs concerned with religious freedom.
The embassy promoted religious freedom and tolerance through the use of
public diplomacy, including speeches and press interviews by senior
U.S. government officials and embassy representatives.
On July
28, the ambassador met with the head of the Tbilisi mosque to discuss
community issues. On August 9 to 11, the ambassador visited the
predominantly ethnic Armenian and, therefore, Armenian Apostolic region
of Samtskhe-Javakheti, where he met with NGO and government
representatives. He also met with the head of the AAC in the
predominantly ethnic Armenian city of Akhalkalaki. Embassy officials
regularly traveled to the region and met with local government officials
and civil society representatives to discuss community matters. On
September 16, embassy representatives again met with the head of the
Tbilisi mosque as well as imams from throughout the country to discuss
religious freedom problems in light of the controversy surrounding
Qur'an burning in the United States.
On October 4, embassy staff
attended a conference attended by representatives of almost all
religious confessions in the country on the problem of legal status of
religious organizations. On October 26, the deputy chief of mission and
embassy staff met with representatives from the American Jewish Joint
Distribution Committee working in the country to discuss their work and
matters of religious freedom within the Jewish community. On October 27,
embassy representatives attended a presentation by the Christian
Democratic Party on Islamic cultural traditions in Ajara. In November
embassy representatives attended a conference on Armenian issues in the
country including those surrounding the AAC. On October 6, the United
States and Georgia conducted an omnibus meeting of the Strategic
Partnership Commission that included a discussion of human rights and
democratic development, including topics related to religious freedom.
In
December embassy staff participated in Hanukkah celebrations on two
different occasions with leaders from the community. On December 13,
embassy representatives attended the PDO's religious council meeting,
which included most religious confessions in the country, to discuss
topics of concern to the communities. On December 10, the ambassador,
along with the ambassadors of France, the EU, Switzerland, the United
Kingdom, and Sweden, hosted a reception in honor of Human Rights Day
that included religious leaders. On December 17, embassy staff traveled
to the Muslim and ethnic Azeri region of Kvemo Kartli and attended a
conference on Muslim women's matters. On December 20, the ambassador
held a live Web cast on human rights including religious freedom
problems.
Embassy officials promoted dialogue between the
government and ethnic and religious minority communities and their
integration into society. The embassy provided small grants to local
NGOs working on minority problems and monitoring the government's
implementation of the National Integration and Tolerance program.