The lamentable record of ill-treatment of religious minorities in Georgia has been in the news again…

The complaint

In Begheluri & Ors v Georgia [2014] ECHR 1032, a group of Jehovah’s Witnesses complained of thirty cases of alleged religiously-motivated violence and assault. At least four were allegedly carried out with the direct participation of the police and other representatives of the authorities, while twelve were carried out by a group of Orthodox believers run by one Basil Mkalavishvili (aka “Father Basil”, a priest defrocked by the Georgian Orthodox Church). In passing, Mkalavishvili has previous for this: see Gldani Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses & Ors v Georgia [2007] ECHR 1160. Moreover:

“Although in all the cases the applicants complained to the investigation authorities,in only a few of the cases did they receive a written response. In at least fifteen of the cases, when the applicants challenged the inactivity and ignorance of the law enforcement authorities, the courts refused to hear their complaints” [6] Continue reading →