Friday, December 5, 2025

Religious minorities in Georgia shortchanged due to prejudice

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Jehovah’s Witnesses have been subject to a wave of violent attacks in Georgia. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–In the last few years, Georgia has had a surge in discrimination against religious minorities. A new report reveals that also a silent, invisible day-to-day form of discrimination is prevalent within government institutions and among public servants.

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Georgia creates new agency for religious issues

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Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia is planning to create a new agency that will work on religious issues.

Minister of Reconciliation and Equality Paata Zakareishvili on Tuesday explained that the new body will implement a recent initiative by the government

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HRW highlights recent attacks on minorities in Georgia

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A crowd of thousands led by Orthodox priests on May 17, 2013, violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration to mark the International Day Against Homophobia. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Human Rights Watch criticizes Georgia in its World Report 2014 for not having done enough to protect the rights of religious minorities and LGBT.

When it comes to religious rights, the organization points out that the Muslim minority has experienced

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Demonstration against minaret in Georgian village

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Orthodox activists are against the re-erecting of a minaret in the village Chela. (Photo: Samkhretis Karibche.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Orthodox clerics and members of a radical religious group Thursday demonstrated in the Georgian village Chela against the restoration of a minaret on the night of November 27.

The day ended without incident, and the rally was dissolved peacefully.

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Minaret back up in Georgian village Chela

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The minaret in Chela was put up at the mosque Wednesday. (Photo: Samkhretis Karibche.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The minaret that was taken down in a Georgian village was put back up at the mosque Wednesday night.

According to the local newspaper Samkhretis Karibche (Sknews.ge), the local government in Adigeni issued a permission to restore the minaret in Chela

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Minaret conflict in Chela, Georgia, still unresolved

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The minaret is still in storage outside Chela, while locals hope the government will solve the conflict. (DF Watch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The conflict over a minaret that was dismantled in a small Georgian village is far from over. Locals are continuing their fight to have the minaret restored, and claim that the guarantee of freedom of religion in the Georgian Constitution supports

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Compromise about minaret will create new inter-religious council

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“Give us freedom of faith” says this poster. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Agreement was reached by Muslim and Christian leaders in Georgia on Thursday about what to do with a minaret which was removed from a mosque earlier in the week.

The Georgian Orthodox Church — the Patriarchate — and the organizations Muslims of

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