The Georgian Patriarchate has released a statement on Sunday claiming no one applied to them regarding the issue of the Public Defender entry in the Patriarchate’s Ninotsminda boarding school.

Patriarchate says they have later involved in the process after being informed of the issue via media outlets.

Georgian Patriarchate said it would appeal the court decision that the children with disabilities should be removed from the Ninotsminda boarding school.

“The court did not present relevant evidence of ill-treatment and violence against minors living in the boarding school,” the statement reads.

The Tbilisi City Court said on June 5 in a temporary order that children with disabilities should be removed from the Ninotsminda boarding school. The Ministry of Health and the State Care Agency were instructed to place children with disabilities in other state care institutions.

The Court ruling came after NGO Partnership for Human Rights applied to the Court earlier this week, arguing that the children’s lives and health were in danger and demanded their removal from the Ninotsminda boarding school. According to Anna Arganashvili, Executive Director at Partnership for Human Rights, the court ruled that all children living in the boarding school were at risk.

Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria believes the court ruling clearly indicates the real risk and danger that exists in the facility in terms of the protection of children’s rights.