US Department of State publishes report on religious freedom in Georgia
US Department of State publishes report on religious freedom in Georgia
19:16, 13.05.2021

The US Department of State has published the 2020 Report on International Religious Freedom: Georgia on Thursday.

The report mentioned NGO Tolerance and Diversity Institute, which stated that prosecutors continued to fail to indict individuals for religiously motivated crimes. The government did not approve the registration application of any new religious group.

“According to NGOs and minority religious groups, religiously motivated crimes declined compared to 2019 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on public activity.

Some religious groups advocated legislation that would address a broader range of religious issues, while others expressed concerns about the potential impact of such a law on smaller groups.

Muslim community members continued to state there was a lack of transparency in government decisions on mosques and their construction,” the report claims.

The report also said that according to religious leaders, de facto authorities in the Russia-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which remained outside the administrative control of the central government, continued to restrict or prohibit the activities of some religious groups.

“Sources stated that the Russian Orthodox Church tacitly and unofficially supported breakaway churches that did not have official autocephaly from the Georgian Orthodox Church (GOC). De facto South Ossetian authorities permitted GOC religious services but said they were illegal. De facto Abkhaz authorities prohibited Georgian Orthodox clergy from entering the occupied territory. Some religious figures in Abkhazia reportedly continued to advocate the establishment of an autocephalous Orthodox Church in the territory or a merger with the Russian Orthodox Church,” the report reads.



By - Marika Kartozia

Society
International Religious Freedom
The US Department of State
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