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The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion.
The government generally respected religious freedom 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 government's focus largely concentrated on national security challenges, and the implementation of policies relating to religious freedom slowed.
There were continued reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. There were reports of incidents of harassment in Tbilisi and the regions outside of Tbilisi involving local citizens, government officials, and Orthodox provocateurs. The Public Defender's Office (PDO) human rights ombudsman reported several cases of harassment during the reporting period. Systemic problems remained largely unchanged, such as the return of church property, legal registration of denominations, unequal legal frameworks, and negative media coverage of non-Orthodox religious groups. However, the PDO marked International Tolerance Day for the first time, and the public defender acknowledged the efforts of leading civil society activists and organizations awarded as "Advocates of Tolerance." Additionally, the president and the minister of reintegration attended the opening of a new synagogue in Tbilisi, and a church in Rabati, in the Akhaltsikhe district, was returned to the Roman Catholic Church in December 2009.
The U.S. government discusses religious freedom with the government as part of its overall policy to promote human rights. The U.S. embassy funded several projects to foster religious tolerance, which included exchange programs for civil society representatives working in the field of 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 25,900 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, a new group formed during the reporting period. According to the patriarchy, these groups are in no way 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
The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion. 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 and/or imprisonment; violations committed by a public officer or official are considered abuses of power and are punishable by higher fines and/or longer terms of imprisonment.
The Human Rights Protection Unit in the legal department of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) is charged with protecting human rights, including religious freedom. The PDO also monitors complaints of restrictions on religious freedom. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the PGO remained active in the protection of religious freedom. However, minority religious groups, such as the Jehovah's Witnesses, expressed some dissatisfaction with the lack of investigative follow-up in some cases.
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, 2010.
Under a 2006 law, religious groups other than the GOC may register with the government as a noncommercial entity of private law (in one of several forms such as a union or a foundation) to receive legal status and tax benefits. A union was based on membership (a minimum of five members was required), while a foundation involved one or more founders establishing a fund for furtherance of a certain cause for the benefit of the particular group or the general public. In all cases registration was 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. 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 specifies that "pupils, parents, and teachers enjoy freedom of religious belief, denomination, and conscience, according to the rule established by law, and have 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 GOC routinely reviewed religious and other textbooks used in schools for consistency with Orthodox beliefs, although this review was not conducted within the government structure but rather as part of the GOC's pastoral activities.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The government generally respected religious freedom 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 also complained that local police did not always respond promptly to their complaints. Police often left investigations of such complaints incomplete.
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 and received $13.3 million (25.3 million lari) in 2010.
The Jewish community has been registered as a union 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 $0.54 (one lari) per month. The ability to "lease" the property satisfied investors willing to fund the repair work.
The AAC has refused to register as a union or a foundation, which left it without legal identity. The RCC has registered parts of its community in order to have legal control over its properties. This registration arrangement gave it physical control over 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 the Jehovah's Witnesses shared this complaint. The registration options satisfied only the Krishnas because they gave the community of approximately 100 practitioners the ability to repair and control its temple but did not focus additional government attention on its presence.
During the reporting period, the Kobuleti Bible Church "Salvation World" lost access to its church building. The building had been purchased by missionaries in 2005 and registered under an individual's name since the group could not register as a religious organization and buy the property itself. The individual subsequently lost ownership of the property due to a personal accumulation of tax and other debts.
During the reporting period, the RCC-owned Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Institute of Philosophy, Theology, Culture, and History received reaccreditation, which had been delayed since its original application in 2007.
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 current registration law effectively leads to equal treatment of religious groups. In the government's view, the registration law was religion-neutral in that its principal concern was only whether an organization is 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, although authorities conceded that there may be confusion on the part of potential beneficiaries and government implementers. The GOC argued that only largely symbolic preferences remained, befitting the GOC's status under the concordat, such as exemption from initial payment of the value-added tax (versus paying and receiving reimbursement) and exemption from profit on sales of religious artifacts.
On March 12, 2010, 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.
According to the MCLA and confirmed by the GOC, the government and the GOC signed an agreement in 2002 requiring representatives from minority religious organizations to seek permission from the GOC before requesting access to a prisoner. According to the MCLA, despite the regulation authorities did not deny any religious representative access to a prisoner. However, representatives from the Baptist and Muslim communities reported having access problems. The RCC found the need to seek GOC permission for access unacceptable. At the end of the reporting period, the MCLA was working with some communities to address these concerns.
During the previous reporting period, there were some complaints in connection with the process of postponement of mandatory military service. An Adventist did not address the relevant agency in a timely manner with a request for substituting mandatory military service with alternative service. As a result he served mandatory military service. On the recommendation of the PDO, the matter was being reviewed. At the end of the reporting period, the public defender's recommendations were under consideration. The Adventist was relieved from his duty on Saturdays because of his religious beliefs.
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. At the end of the reporting period, however, the RCC continued to negotiate the terms of ownership with the government, since the RCC does not have legal status due to the issues regarding recognition as a religious organization. The main mosque and two synagogues in Tbilisi were operated by their respective religious communities but remained state property. However, restoration continued of GOC churches previously returned, in part with government subsidies, on the grounds that the buildings were national cultural heritage sites. The government also 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.
The AAC's main concern remained the return of five churches in Tbilisi and one in Akhaltsikhe. However, the status of at least 30 other churches claimed by the AAC remained in dispute. Controversy continued to surround the disposition of the Norashen church, claimed by both the AAC and GOC and closed since 1995.
On November 19, 2009, a disputed church claimed by the AAC collapsed in Tbilisi. The church was reportedly constructed in 1356 but was closed during the Soviet era and used as a warehouse. The church did not reopen after the country's independence, when title to the property passed to the Ministry of Culture. On November 20, 2010, 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 reporting period, but there was no progress made to restore the church.
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 remained pending with city authorities. 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.
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 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 August 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. However, the Jehovah's Witnesses later were able to renew construction and had nearly completed the project at the end of the reporting period. Jehovah's Witnesses experienced several other problematic incidents involving building projects.
On several occasions Jehovah's Witnesses attempted to register the purchase of real estate in the name of their legal organization, but these attempts often resulted in either protracted legal battles or losing the selected property to another buyer. Jehovah's Witnesses began the practice of initially registering all real estate bought for the purpose of constructing places for religious gatherings in the name of private individuals and later transferring ownership to the legal organization.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported several problems in the construction of a kingdom hall (place of worship) in Zugdidi, including problems with government construction permits. At the end of the reporting period, the group continued to await a decision from the courts.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported that on July 14, 2009, three members filed a request with the city of Senaki for a permit to occupy a building for religious meetings. City officials refused their request and unofficially informed them that the refusal was due to their religious affiliation. The group filed complaints with the local mayor as well as with the central Prosecutor's Office, the PDO, Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, and Ministry of Justice. The permit was issued on June 6, 2010, 11 months after the request was filed.
Plans to build a Jehovah's Witnesses community center in the Avlabari region of Tbilisi were halted by municipal officials who questioned whether the group legally obtained the property. The courts ruled in favor of the Jehovah's Witnesses, and on June 1, 2010, Tbilisi authorities granted a preliminary construction permit.
Jehovah's Witnesses leaders stated that they continued to be denied access to halls that seated more than 200 persons, and the PGO had not brought charges against any individuals for these denials. The leaders stated they did not plan to press for prosecution but hoped to resolve the issue by receiving permission to build their own large hall. They had not proceeded with this plan but continued to try to rent venues.
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.
In contrast with the previous reporting period, there were no official reports made to the PDO that public school teachers and local Orthodox priests 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.
During the reporting period, the RCC noted that reports persisted that teachers said children who made the sign of the cross in school in the orthodox manner were "making the sign of God," while children who make the sign of the cross in the Roman Catholic manner were "making the sign of the devil." 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 Roman Catholics, Baptists, and Krishnas remarked that parents found the school environment better for their children if their household did not announce its religious affiliations in its community.
Community leaders stated that they received no complaints during the reporting period of Jehovah's Witnesses' children being harassed or discriminated against in school by teachers or students.
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 but was not enforced. The group reported that it continued to hold services in Abkhazia but limited its activities because of the decree.
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, on September 16, 2009, the Abkhaz Orthodox Church declared "independence" from the GOC.
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. The situation improved somewhat over the course of the reporting period, with some visits being allowed, especially on religious holidays.
The Muslim community of Ajara continued to be barred from registration in the territory of the Ajaran Autonomous Republic. Only one Muslim organization of Ajara managed to obtain legal registration by coming to Tbilisi to do so after being refused by local officials.
Abuses of Religious Freedom
On November 1, 2009, the government began an investigation into a series of videos posted on Facebook because they 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. On November 3, 2009, the PDO called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the PGO to publically state 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.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported an incident in Tbilisi on July 17, 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.
Several cases, already filed with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), were delayed in local courts for significant periods. These cases concerned alleged illegal actions, including violent attacks by police officers and other government officials against Jehovah's Witnesses in 2001. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the appeals were inadmissible. Therefore, these cases exhausted all domestic remedies, and updates were being prepared for the ECHR. Jehovah's Witnesses had five cases against the government pending at the ECHR reflecting complaints of violent persecution without subsequent judicial remedies, illegal actions of police officers and other government officials, and liquidation of Jehovah's Witnesses' legal entities.
During the reporting period, the government investigated several cases of interference, threats, intimidation, or violence. The PGO continued to exercise prosecutorial discretion to emphasize cases arising after 2003, in view of its limited investigative and prosecutorial resources. The PGO scheduled investigations prior to 2003 to continue where feasible but gave priority to new cases. Religious minority groups pointed out that this could lead to the eventual elimination of cases that could be investigated under law predating 2003.
There were no reports of religious prisoners in the country.
Forced Religious Conversion
There were no reports of forced religious conversion.
Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom
On March 21, 2010, President Saakashvili visited the predominantly ethnic Azeri and Muslim city of Marneuli in the Kvemo Kartli region to commemorate Nowruz-Bairam, commonly referred to as "Persian New Year," which he declared a national holiday. On December 25, 2009, the president visited a Roman Catholic Church and congratulated the Catholic community on the Christmas holiday. On December 20, 2009, President Saakashvili visited a mosque in Batumi and spoke about the fraternal coexistence between Christians and Muslims in the country. On November 28, 2009, the president celebrated Kurban Bairam, "Greater Eid," with the local Muslim community at the Tbilisi mosque.
On November 16, 2009, the PDO commemorated "International Day of Tolerance." Public Defender Giorgi Tugushi honored several domestic NGOs and individuals with the title of "Advocates for Tolerance" for their contribution toward advancing tolerance. The event included representatives from all the major religious denominations and major ethnic minority groups. Tugushi made it clear that tolerance of minority and religious issues was a priority for his tenure.
On September 15, 2009, the 150-year-old Ashkenazi synagogue, badly damaged in a 1991earthquake, was reopened in the old district of Tbilisi. The ceremony marking the reopening included President Saakashvili, Vice Speaker of Parliament Gigi Tsereteli, and State Minister for Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili. Addressing the Jewish community inside the new synagogue, Saakashvili underscored the beauty of the old district of Tbilisi, where two synagogues, a mosque, a Georgian Orthodox church, and an Armenian church stand side by side, and where local residents speak Georgian, Yiddish, Armenian, and Azeri languages, living in peace. The event was widely covered in the media.
Section III. Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom
There were continued reports of societal abuses or discrimination based on religious affiliation, belief, or practice. Incidents of harassment were reported in and outside Tbilisi involving local citizens, government officials, and Orthodox provocateurs. During the reporting period, "traditional" minority religious groups, including Catholics, Armenian Apostolic Christians, and Muslims, were victims of harassment. Some members of the GOC and the public remained apprehensive toward "nontraditional" religious minorities, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, and Baptists. Some persons viewed minority religious groups as a threat to the national church and the country's cultural values.
During the reporting period, several religious minority groups faced harassment and attacks by fundamentalist Georgian Orthodox groups that included laypersons and clergy. Harassment included passing out pamphlets warning parents about pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church; holding a street protest at the site of a Tbilisi Muslim community center, where local Muslims reported that many of the protesters pushed them and told them to leave the country (they also reported that although police came and calmed the situation, no arrests were made); and staging a large protest at the opening of a new Assyrian cultural facility. The GOC stated that while there were clergy in these groups, the groups were not officially part of the GOC. The head of one of these groups, the Union of Orthodox Parents, reported that his organization never resorted to violence.
On May 7, 2010, a discussion on Kavkasia TV's program Barieri (Barrier) between leaders of two fundamentalist Georgian Orthodox groups and supporters grew into a fistfight. Representatives of the fundamentalist groups Union of Orthodox Parents and the Public Orthodox Christian Movement reportedly verbally and physically assaulted some of the program's guests and the station's staff. Police were called to the studio and detained at least eight persons, seven of whom faced charges and were being held in administrative detention at the end of the reporting period.
The head of the Tolerance Center within the PDO, reported that on May 4, 2010, he was hit on the head by a member of a fundamentalist Georgian Orthodox group during a rally in support of the publication of a book critical of the GOC. Reportedly the rally was disrupted by extreme Orthodox Christian groups, some members of which physically assaulted demonstrators. He also reported that police tried to separate the conflicting sides but failed to take appropriate measures, including not making any arrests.
Representatives from the Pentecostal community reported that advertising contracts with some Web sites were cancelled after the Kavkasia TV incident because the companies feared they would become the target of the fundamentalist groups. The representatives also reported that they could not conclude advertising contracts for billboards in subway stations because of similar fears.
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.
On December 10, 2009, Ilia State University hosted a conference on Islam. However, the public defender reported that the discussion part of the conference failed due to harassment by some members of the Union of Orthodox Parents.
On October 17, 2009, an Assyrian cultural center was opened in Tbilisi, under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. On the day of the opening, the Union of Orthodox Parents temporarily blocked the entrance to the center and displayed anti-Catholic banners. Police were able to unblock the entrance to the church shortly before the opening ceremony began. On October 15 a one-day protest was held in front of the Vatican embassy. The protesters held banners with insulting, xenophobic language. According to the public defender, on October 6 and 7, a group of 80 persons led by the Union of Orthodox Parents marched into the villages of Arali and Vale of the Adigeni district, where the majority of the population is Catholic. The group reportedly distributed brochures containing hate language, claiming that Catholic priests (specific Catholic priests were named) were pedophiles.
On September 16, 2009, representatives from fundamentalist Georgian Orthodox groups prevented repairs on a mosque in a traditionally ethnic-Azeri village. The group members allegedly demanded to see the villagers' construction permit, despite not having the legal right to do so, and threatened the villagers with violence if the construction did not cease. The village community members claimed that they had received permission from local authorities. At the end of the reporting period, the repairs had not been completed, since the question of official permission from the government was not settled. Members of the Orthodox group continued a vigil at the mosque to ensure that villagers did not continue repairs. The head of the Union of Orthodox Parents, one of the groups involved, confirmed that it was participating in the vigil because construction on the mosque without the correct permits is illegal.
A number of religious minorities reported continuing media hostility. Some religious minority leaders noted that the media provided no coverage of their activities.
On March 27, 2010, and on three occasions in 2009, members of Jehovah's Witnesses were harassed and in some cases physically assaulted by nonmembers in the community. In all the cases, the incidents were reported to authorities; investigations were pending at the end of the reporting period.
On March 7, 2010, two inebriated persons attacked a kingdom hall in Tbilisi, throwing stones into the building. A complaint was filed with the Main Prosecutor's Office and the PDO. Another complaint accused previous owners of the land where the hall was built of organizing a demonstration on April 9, 2010, to prohibit Jehovah's Witnesses from using it. Investigations were pending at the end of the reporting period. According to the Jehovah's Witnesses, the case against the inebriated person was closed because the persons could not be found. According to the Ministry of Justice, the case was closed on April 17, 2010, because the damage to the hall was less than $82 (150 lari) and, under the criminal procedure code, not considered significant enough damage to constitute criminal prosecution. According to the Jehovah's Witnesses, the complaint against the former land owner was closed because it was determined that no criminal offense had been committed.
On December 13, 2009, Jehovah's Witnesses reported that in the city of Martvili, five men beat two members and told them to leave the city. They reported that one of the attackers worked at the Martvili Passport Department of the Ministry of Justice. They alleged that another attacker worked at the city municipality and a third attacker worked at the Martvili District Court. They filed a complaint with the Main Prosecutor's Office. According to the Ministry of Justice, the two members of the Jehovah's Witnesses requested that the Martvili unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs terminate the investigation because they were verbally but not physically assaulted. Consequently, on May 4, 2010, the investigation was terminated.
On October 22, 2009, in the Vazisubani district of Tbilisi, two Jehovah's Witnesses were beaten and threatened with a gun. Police took the victims to the police station and initiated a criminal case. Information was also provided to the Main Prosecutor's Office and the public defender. According to the PDO and the Ministry of Justice, investigations were pending at the end of the reporting period. According to the Ministry of Justice, the license plate number identified by witnesses was matched to a car belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs that has been inoperable since 2007.
In October 20, 2009, at the kingdom hall construction site in Zugdidi, unidentified individuals destroyed a wire fence and demanded that the Jehovah's Witnesses vacate the property. Although police arrived quickly, they took no action. Later that day a larger mob of approximately 150 individuals insulted community members and spit into a well on the site. Police returned but did not take any action. Later that night approximately 20 persons entered the site and physically assaulted four members. Police arrived but did not take protective measures. Jehovah's Witnesses requested that a criminal case be opened and the deputy chief of police promised to provide protection. On November 17, 2009, work resumed at the site. Police were present and ensured that assailants did not hinder the work.
On October 20, 2009, members of Jehovah's Witnesses were harassed in the village of Gvankiti. Information was provided to the local police, the Main Prosecutor's Office, and the PDO. On May 12, 2010, the Jehovah's Witnesses were informed that the investigation was terminated. Jehovah's Witnesses intended to appeal the decision. According to the Ministry of Justice, the investigation was terminated on October 27, 2009, due to lack of evidence that a crime was committed. According to the ministry, other witnesses interviewed stated that while religious material was destroyed by the accused, no physical assault took place.
On July 3, 2009, in the town of Akhalkalaki, GOC Priest Irakli Khomeriki hit a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the face. On July 7, 2009, a complaint was filed with the GPO and the public defender. A criminal case was initiated, and Khomeriki received an official warning.
Jehovah's Witnesses reported that since 2004 they have not been able to rent facilities in Tbilisi to hold large religious gatherings.
In 2009 Jehovah's Witnesses provided a list of 35 incidents involving harassment, all of which were reported to government authorities. The group reported that in only two cases was an individual charged; the rest remained unresolved despite their claim that authorities knew the identity of the harassers. Complaints involved harassment when Jehovah's Witnesses members tried to talk with others about their beliefs; physical damage to meeting places, especially kingdom halls under construction, and to cars associated with the buildings; and physical violence. In addition there were numerous cases of crosses painted on the ends of kingdom halls and buildings and other graffiti.
The GOC continued to complain that the ROC's Moscow Theological Seminary was training Abkhaz priests for service in Abkhazia, the breakaway region. Despite the fact that the ROC recognizes the GOC as a legitimate church in Abkhazia, the GOC patriarchate claimed that the ROC was sending in priests loyal to the ROC patriarchate in Moscow under the pretext of setting up indigenous Abkhaz churches.
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 41 times by religious minorities concerning possible instances of violations of their rights in 2009. Police were quick to respond to incidents of abuse but slower to follow-up crimes they viewed as minor "hooliganism," defined as actions that violated public order or demonstrated open contempt towards society by using violence or threats of violence.
In the second half of 2009, the public defender reported that the problems remained the same. The process of restitution of the property of religious minorities confiscated during the Soviet period had not been initiated; the tax regime for minority religious groups was different from that of the GOC; the RCC, ACC, and Muslims refused to register by the existing method, since registration as a legal entity rather than a religious organization was viewed as unacceptable; requirements of the Law on General Education at secondary schools were not met; law enforcers did not abide by the law and did not react adequately when a crime was motivated by religious intolerance; priests of other denominations could not access places of detention without permission of the patriarchy; and state-controlled media provided meager, if any, coverage of problems related to religious minorities.
In October 2008 the last of a series of damaging attacks occurred on the Evangelical-Pentecostal prayer house in the town of Vani. After the intervention of the PDO, criminal proceedings were instigated against the police chief. However, in December 2008 the criminal investigation was closed on the grounds of self-defense.
The former mosque located in the village of Mukhaestate in the Kobuleti region was occupied by local police, 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 population (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.
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, various 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.
The embassy also brought concerns directly to the government including the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance regarding access to prisoners by all religious representatives, the Ministry of Education regarding the treatment of religion in schools and curriculum, and the Ministry of Justice regarding the investigation of possible religiously motivated attacks.
On May 8, 2010, the U.S. ambassador made a statement aired by all major news outlets expressing his concerns for the incident at Kavkasia's television studios and the larger implications the event had for freedom of speech, diversity of opinion, thought, and faith.
On May 5, 2010, the ambassador visited the predominantly ethnic Armenian/Armenian Apostolic region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, where he met with NGO representatives focused on religious freedom and tolerance. 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 religious freedom. Embassy officials visited several churches disputed by the GOC and AAC, highlighting the importance of maintenance of these churches while ownership problems were resolved.
On April 27, 2010, the ambassador visited the predominantly Muslim/ethnic Azeri region of Kvemo Kartli and a mosque in the city of Marneuli. Embassy officials regularly met with the akhund, the religious leader of most Muslims in the country, at the mosque in Tbilisi. Embassy officials attended Eid celebrations in the village in the Bolnisi district, where controversy surrounded the reconstruction of a mosque on September 20, 2009. Embassy officials met with members of the Muslim community in Tbilisi who were attempting to build a community center and visited the proposed building site on December 10, 2009.
On December 10, 2009, in honor of the 2009 Human Rights Day, the ambassador hosted an event at his residence to facilitate a discussion among leaders from minority religious communities and the GOC. The event included leaders from civil society working in the field of religious tolerance as well as the government's Human Rights Public Defender.
In December 2009 the ambassador met with the GOC patriarch. Embassy officials also met with the leader of the fundamental Georgian Orthodox group Union of Orthodox Parents to discuss the group's ideology, methods, and concerns. Embassy officials regularly met with officials from minority Christian communities and visited their community centers and churches including the Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roman Catholics, and Pentecostals.
Embassy officials promoted dialogue between the government and ethnic and religious minority communities and their integration into society. To support the development of civil society within ethnic and religious minority regions, the embassy worked with NGOs to organize capacity building seminars, social outreach programs, networking opportunities with domestic and international NGOs, and tolerance in school projects. The embassy provided small grants to local NGOs working on minority issues and monitoring the government's implementation of the National Integration and Tolerance program.
Embassy officials attended the opening of the new synagogue in Tbilisi and regularly met with leaders from the Jewish community, including the chief rabbi. On October 20, 2009, visitors from the U.S. State Department visited Tbilisi's Hebrew school and attended a performance by the students.
The embassy funded several projects to foster religious tolerance, including research grants, visitor program presentations, and speaker program sponsorships. From March 29 to April 17, 2010, through an International Visitor Leadership Program, leaders from ethnic and religious minority communities travelled to the United States specifically to focus on minority and tolerance issues. The U.S. government continued to fund a four-year, $2.7 million (4.9 million lari) project to promote an increased sense of national unity among citizens through support to the government in forming its national integration strategy and action plan, of which promoting interfaith tolerance was an important component. The project provided technical assistance, diversity training, and small grants to local NGOs, and also supported a weekly show on public television dedicated to integration and tolerance issues, on which prominent religious leaders were featured.
The Democracy Working Group, which is part of a larger bilateral commission, helped identify problems for discussion as well as areas of cooperation and thereby encourages and measured progress in areas such as religious freedom. The group met in November 2009.

Is é seo an leagan téacs bunúsach. CÓCÚ ANOIS ar an bhformáid nua, níos idirghníomhaí.
Foráiltear sa bhunreacht do shaoirse reiligiúin, agus chuir dlíthe agus beartais eile le cleachtas reiligiúnach saor in aisce go ginearálta.
Go ginearálta, thug an rialtas meas ar shaoirse reiligiúna i gcleachtas. Ní raibh aon athrú ar stádas urraim an rialtais do shaoirse reiligiúnacha le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe. Mar a tharla sa tréimhse tuairiscithe roimhe seo, d'fhócas an rialtais go mór ar dhúshláin slándála náisiúnta, agus luigh cur chun feidhme bheartais a bhaineann le saoirse reiligiúnach.
Bhí tuairiscí leanúnacha ann maidir le mí-úsáidí sochaíocha nó idirdhealú bunaithe ar cheangal reiligiúnach, creideamh nó cleachtas. Bhí tuairiscí ar eachtraí de chuid na n-eaglaise i Tbilisi agus sna réigiúin lasmuigh de Tbilisi a raibh saoránaigh áitiúla, oifigigh rialtais agus provokators Orthodox páirteach iontu. Thuairiscigh ombudsman cearta an duine Oifig an Fhreagraí Poiblí (PDO) roinnt cásanna de chaosadh le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe. D'fhan fadhbanna córais gan athrú den chuid is mó, mar shampla maoin na heaglaise a thabhairt ar ais, clárú dlíthiúil na n-ainmníochtaí, creat dlíthiúil neamhionann, agus clúdach diúltach sna meáin ar ghrúpaí reiligiúnacha neamh-Orthodox. Mar sin féin, chuir an PDO Lá Idirnáisiúnta na hIomaitheantais i láthair den chéad uair, agus d'aithin an cosantóir poiblí iarrachtaí lucht gníomhaíochta agus eagraíochtaí den tsochaí shibhialta a bronnadh mar "Iomaitheanna na hIomaitheantais". Ina theannta sin, d'fhreastail an t-uachtarán agus an tAire um Ath-Inteagrú ar oscailt sionagóg nua i Tbilisi, agus tugadh eaglais i Rabati, i gceantar Akhaltsikhe, ar ais chuig an Eaglais Chaitliceach Rómhánach i mí na Nollag 2009.
Pléann rialtas na Stát Aontaithe saoirse reiligiúnach leis an rialtas mar chuid dá bheartas foriomlán chun cearta daonna a chur chun cinn. Chuir ambasáid na Stát Aontaithe maoiniú ar roinnt tionscadal chun dlúthdhiosca a chothú, lena n-áirítear cláir malartaithe d'ionadaithe na sochaí shibhialta a bhí ag obair i réimse an dlúthdhiosca. Bhí ionadaithe na n-ambasáid ag bualadh go minic le ceannairí eagraíochtaí reiligiúnacha agus neamhrialtasacha (NGOanna) chun saoirse reiligiúna a chur chun cinn.
Roinn I. Daonlathach Reiligiúnach
Tá limistéar 25,900 míle cearnach ag an tír agus daonra de 4.6 milliún, lena n-áirítear réigiúin scaradh Abkhazia agus Ossetia Theas. D'fhan údaráis de facto i réigiúin scaradhtacha Abkhazia agus Ossetia Theas, le tacaíocht ó chúpla míle trúpaí Rúise a bhí ag glacadh áit, lasmuigh de smacht an rialtais lárnaigh. Tá comhghaol láidir idir grúpaí eitneacha agus cleamhnas reiligiúnach, chomh maith le limistéar geografach.
Tá an chuid is mó de na Gearógaigh eitneacha (84 faoin gcéad den daonra, de réir daonáireamh 2002), bainteach le hIonad Oirtódach na Gearóige (GOC). Glacann Críostaithe Orthodox nach Giúirseach iad le dlínse críochach an GOC agus de ghnáth úsáideann siad príomhtheanga a gcainteoirí (mar shampla, Rúisis, Airméinis nó Gréigis). Tá líon beag de lucht leanúna Rúise den chuid is mó eitneach de thrí scoil Orthodox dícheallach ann fós: Molokani, Staroveriy (Sean-Chreidmheach), agus Dukhoboriy (Wrestlers Spioraid). Tá grúpaí Oirthocaidseacha na Gréige radacach i láthair freisin, mar shampla, Cumann Naomh David an Tógálaí, Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Oirthocaidseacha, agus Gluaiseacht Chríostaí Oirthocaidseach na Daoine, grúpa nua a bunaíodh le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe. De réir na patriarchy, níl baint ag na grúpaí seo ar bhealach ar bith leis an GOC.
Tá an Eaglais Apostolach Airméineach (AAC), an Eaglais Chaitliceach Rómhánach (RCC), Giúdachas, agus Ioslam tar éis maireachtáil le hOirtodox na Gearóidige ar feadh na gcéadta bliain. Is iad na Azeris an dara grúpa eitneach is mó (timpeall 285,000, nó 7 faoin gcéad den daonra) agus is Moslamach iad den chuid is mó; tá an chuid is mó acu ina gcónaí i réigiún oirdheisceart Kvemo-Kartli, áit a bhfuil tromlach acu. I measc grúpaí Moslamacha eile tá Moslamaigh eitneach na Gréige de Ajara agus Chechen Kists sa réigiún oirdheisceart, ag tabhairt Moslamaigh go 10 faoin gcéad den daonra. Is iad na hArmánaigh an tríú grúpa eitneach is mó (measta ag 249,000, nó 6 faoin gcéad den daonra) agus is de chuid den AAC iad den chuid is mó; is iad is mó de na daonra i réigiún Samtskhe-Javakheti ó dheas.
Meastar go bhfuil 35,000 Caitliceach ann, go príomha Ghorgánaigh nó Assyrians eitneacha, agus 18,000 Yezidis Kurdach. Is é an pobal Oirtheachtúil Gréagach eitneach 15,000. Meastar go bhfuil 10,000 Giúdach ann.
Tá na heagraíochtaí Protastúnacha agus neamhthraidisiúnta eile, amhail na Baisteoirí, na Fianna Iósa, na Peinticéadaigh, agus na Krishnas, níos gníomhaí agus níos suntasaí. Is lú ná 1 faoin gcéad den daonra atá ag gach ceann de na grúpaí seo.
Roinn II. Stádas an Rialtais Urram do Shaoirse Reiligiúin
Foráiltear sa bhunreacht do shaoirse reiligiúin, agus chuir dlíthe agus beartais eile le cleachtas reiligiúnach saor in aisce go ginearálta. Aithníonn an bunreacht ról speisialta an GOC i stair na tíre ach leagann sé amach freisin neamhspleáchas na heaglaise ón stát. Tugann comhaontuithe 2002 idir an rialtas agus an GOC stádas uathúil ar an GOC; níl comhaontuithe sínithe ag an rialtas le haon ghrúpa reiligiúnach eile.
Cuireann an cód coiriúil cosc go sonrach ar chur isteach ar sheirbhísí adhartha, ionchúiseamh duine bunaithe ar chreideamh nó ar chreideamh reiligiúnach, agus cur isteach ar bhunú eagraíochta reiligiúnaigh. Tá pionós fíneáil agus/nó príosúnachta in aghaidh sárú na ndáiltí seo; meastar gur mí-úsáid cumhachta iad sárú a dhéanfaidh oifigeach poiblí nó oifigeach poiblí agus tá fíneálacha níos airde agus/nó téarmaí príosúnachta níos faide in aghaidh na sárú sin.
Tá an tAonad um Chosaint Chearta an Duine i roinn dhlíthiúil Oifig an Ard-Ionchúisitheora (PGO) cúisithe le cearta an duine a chosaint, lena n-áirítear saoirse reiligiúnach. Déanann an PDO monatóireacht freisin ar ghearán faoi shrianta ar shaoirse reiligiúna. D'fhan an Aireacht Gnóthaí Intíre agus an PGO gníomhach i gcosaint na saoirse reiligiúnaí. Mar sin féin, léirigh grúpaí mionlach reiligiúnacha, amhail na finnéithe Jehovah, roinnt míshástachta leis an easpa leantacha imscrúdaithe i gcásanna áirithe.
Coinníonn an rialtas na laethanta saoire reiligiúnacha seo a leanas mar laethanta saoire náisiúnta: Nollaig na nOrthodox, Epiphany, Aoine an Chéasta, Oíche Shamhna na nOrthodox, Luan na Cásca, Lá an Apostola Andrew, Lá na Maighdean Mhuire, Svetitskhovloba, agus Lá Naomh George. D'fhógair an t-uachtarán Nowruz-Bairam, a cheiliúradh ag an daonra Moslamach eitneach Azeri, mar saoire náisiúnta ar 21 Márta, 2010.
Faoi dhlí 2006 is féidir le grúpaí reiligiúnacha seachas an GOC clárú leis an rialtas mar eintiteas neamhthráchtála de dhlí príobháideach (i gceann de roinnt foirmeacha amhail ceardchumainn nó bunús) chun stádas dlíthiúil agus sochair chánach a fháil. Bhí ceardchumainn bunaithe ar bhallraíocht (ba cheart cúig bhall ar a laghad a bheith ann), agus bhí bunús ag bunúsóir amháin nó níos mó a bhunaigh ciste chun cúis áirithe a chur chun cinn chun tairbhe an ghrúpa áirithe nó an phobail i gcoitinne. I ngach cás, ba ghnách le roinn cánach na hAireachta Airgeadais clárú a dhéanamh, agus ní mór dó clárú a dheonú nó a dhiúltú laistigh de thrí lá ón iarratas. Féadfar achomharc a dhéanamh in aghaidh diúltú i gcúirt. Níor tugadh aon tuairiscí faoi aon ghrúpaí a diúltaíodh clárú dóibh le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe. Chuir roinnt grúpaí reiligiúnacha in iúl go raibh siad míshásta go gcaithfí iad a chlárú mar eintiteas den sórt sin seachas mar ghrúpa reiligiúnach chun stádas dlíthiúil agus sochair chánach a fháil.
Sonraíonn an Dlí um Oideachas Ginearálta go bhfuil "saoirse creideamh, coimhdeachta agus coinsiasa ag daltaí, tuismitheoirí agus múinteoirí, de réir an riail a bhunaigh an dlí, agus go bhfuil sé de cheart acu aon choimhdeacht reiligiúnach a roghnú agus a athrú de réir toilte".
Rinne dlí 2005 a scarann scoileanna stáit agus teagasc reiligiúnach léiriú an choinbhinsiúin rialtais leis an GOC maidir le teagasc na hOirtéideachais a dhéanamh mar chuid roghnach den churaclam scoile. Deir an dlí nach féidir an teagasc seo a chur ar siúl ach amháin tar éis uaireanta scoile agus nach féidir leis an scoil nó na múinteoirí é a rialú. Ní féidir le múinteoirí lasmuigh, lena n-áirítear cléirí, freastal go rialta nó gníomhaíochtaí iarchuraim na mac léinn nó clubanna mac léinn agus a gcruinnithe a stiúradh. Bhí na heolaithe laige, seachas na sagairt, i gceannas ar na gníomhaíochtaí sin.
Rinne an GOC athbhreithniú rialta ar leabhair teagaisc reiligiúnacha agus eile a úsáidtear i scoileanna chun a bheith comhsheasmhach le creideamh na nOirtheangach, cé nár rinneadh an athbhreithniú seo laistigh den struchtúr rialtais ach mar chuid de ghníomhaíochtaí pearsantachta an GOC.
Teoranta ar Shaoirse Reiligiúna
Go ginearálta, thug an rialtas meas ar shaoirse reiligiúna i gcleachtas. Ní raibh aon athrú ar stádas urraim an rialtais do shaoirse reiligiúnacha le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe. Ag an am céanna, rinne grúpaí reiligiúnacha seachas an GOC gearán nach raibh stádas dlíthiúil chomhionann acu, nach raibh aitheantas oifigiúil acu mar reiligiúin, agus nach raibh na pribhléidí céanna acu agus atá ag an GOC. D'éiligh grúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha freisin nach raibh na póilíní áitiúla i gcónaí ag freagairt go pras dá ngearán. Is minic a fhágann póilíní imscrúduithe ar ghearán den sórt sin neamhiomlán.
Sa chomhaontuithe 2002 idir an RGPC agus an stát, sainmhínítear na caidrimh idir an dá eintiteas. Tá roinnt ailt chonspóideach sa choinchead, mar shampla díolúine dlíthiúil a thabhairt don phatriarch; ceart eisiach a thabhairt don GOC chun an chaplaincy míleata a fhoireann; cléirí GOC a dhíolmhú ó sheirbhís mhíleata; agus ról chomhairliúcháin uathúil a thabhairt don GOC sa rialtas, go háirithe i réimse an oideachais. Mar sin féin, bhí ar go leor de na hairteagail chonspóideacha go nglacfadh an Pharlaimint le reachtaíocht chur chun feidhme, rud nár rinneadh faoi dheireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe. Tá mír ag an bpobal TLR sa bhuiséad rialtais agus fuair sé $ 13.3 milliún (25.3 milliún lari) in 2010.
Tá an pobal Giúdach cláraithe mar chomhpháirtíocht le roinnt blianta, ní mar gur fearr leis an ainmniúchán seo, ach toisc gur cheadaigh an ainmniúchán dó sionagóg a dheisiú. Cé nár tugadh an t-ionad sionagóige ar ais do úinéireacht an phobail Giúdach, d'éirigh leis an rialtas é a léasú don phobal ar phraghas siombalach $0.54 (lair amháin) in aghaidh na míosa. Bhí na hinfheistithe sásta leis an gcumas an mhaoin a "díolú" agus bhí siad sásta an obair dheisiúcháin a mhaoiniú.
Dhiúltaigh an AAC clárú mar chomhdháil nó mar bhunaíocht, rud a fhág sé gan aitheantas dlíthiúil. Tá cuid dá phobal cláraithe ag an RCC d'fhonn smacht dhlíthiúil a bheith aige ar a chuid maoine. Thug an socrú clárúcháin seo smacht fisiciúil air ar fhoirgnimh na heaglaise agus d'fhág sé leis an gcleachtas roimhe seo a bhí ann a n-eintitis reiligiúnacha a chlárú in ainm duine aonair. Mar sin féin, bhí an RCC cúramach a mhíshástacht leis na roghanna clárúcháin a "díolaíonn dínit" a chur i bhfios. Bhí an gearán seo ag baisteoirí agus ag na finnéithe ar an Tiarna. Ní raibh na roghanna clárúcháin sásta ach leis na Krishnas toisc gur thug siad an cumas do phobal de thart ar 100 cleachtóir a theampall a dheisiú agus a rialú ach níor dhírigh siad aird bhreise an rialtais ar a láithreacht.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, níorbh fhéidir le hIonad Bíobla Kobuleti "Save the World" teacht ar a fhoirgneamh eaglais. Cheannaigh misinéirí an foirgneamh i 2005 agus chláraigh siad é faoi ainm duine aonair ós rud é nach bhféadfadh an grúpa clárú mar eagraíocht reiligiúnach agus an t-oileán féin a cheannach. Ní raibh an t-earraí a bhí ag an duine aonair ar an maoin ina dhiaidh sin mar gheall ar charnadh cánach agus fiacha eile a bhí aige.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, fuair Institiúid Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani na Fealsúnaíochta, na Theolaíochta, na Cultúir agus na Staire, ar institiúid faoi úinéireacht RCC é, athchreidmheas, a bhí moill air óna iarratas bunaidh i 2007.
D'áitigh údaráis rialtais go soláthraíonn an dlí clárúcháin cothromaíocht leordhóthanach idir éilimh mhionlaigh reiligiúnacha agus an fonn stádas speisialta an rialtais na Síne a chosaint. Dúirt an rialtas go mbeadh díospóireacht neamhriachtanach ann idir grúpaí maidir leis an sainmhíniú a bhí le glacadh, agus go dtiocfadh le cóireáil chomhionann ar ghrúpaí reiligiúnacha de dheasca an dlí clárúcháin reatha. De réir thuairim an rialtais, bhí an dlí clárúcháin neamhthrédhearcach ó thaobh reiligiúin de, toisc nach raibh a phríomhchúram ach cibé an bhfuil eagraíocht chun brabúis nó gan brabúis. Bhí an chosaint dhlíthiúil céanna ar a gcearta maoine agus ar a stádas cánach ag grúpaí reiligiúnacha cláraithe i bhfad níos mó ná an stádas atá ag an nGUR, cé gur thug na húdaráis le fios go bhféadfadh mearbhall a bheith ann ó thaobh tairbhithe féideartha agus feidhmeoirí rialtais. D'áitigh an GOC nach raibh ach tosaíochtaí siombalacha i bhfad níos mó fós, a bhí oiriúnach do stádas an GOC faoin gcóncordáid, amhail díolúine ó íocaíocht tosaigh an cháin bhreiseluacha (i gcomparáid le aisíocaíocht a íoc agus a fháil) agus díolúine ó bhrabús ar dhíolacháin ar shaotharlaigh reiligiúnacha.
Ar an 12 Márta 2010, síníodh meabhrán idir an GOC agus an Aireacht um Chearta agus Cúnamh Dlí (MCLA) ina ndeachaigh na páirtithe i gcomhar maidir le saothar úsáideach go sóisialta a shannadh mar fhoirm pionóis do phríosúnaigh, lena n-áirítear cur chun feidhme na hoibre seo in eaglaisí agus i mhonastóirí. Ní raibh aon chomhaontú den sórt sin ag aon eagraíocht reiligiúnach eile leis an rialtas. Tá an t-údarás príosúnach ag iarraidh ar an rialtas na Síne a chur san áireamh sa chlár seo.
I gcás ina bhfuil an t-údarás príosúnach ag iarraidh rochtain ar phríosúnach, ní mór do na hionadaithe sin cead a fháil ón rialtas chun rochtain a fháil ar phríosúnach. De réir an MCLA, in ainneoin na rialacháin, níor dhiúltaigh údaráis aon ionadaí reiligiúnach rochtain ar phríosúnach. Mar sin féin, thuairiscigh ionadaithe ó phobail Baiste agus Moslamacha go raibh fadhbanna rochtana acu. Ní raibh an RCC in ann cead a fháil ó na GOC chun rochtain a fháil. Ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe, bhí an MCLA ag obair le roinnt pobail chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar na hábhair imní seo.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe roimhe seo, bhí roinnt gearáin i ndáil leis an bpróiseas chun seirbhís mhíleata éigeantach a chur siar. Níor chuir Adventist aghaidh go tráthúil ar an ngníomhaireacht ábhartha le hiarratais ar sheirbhís choiriúil a chur in ionad seirbhíse malartacha. Mar thoradh air sin bhí sé i mbun seirbhíse míleata éigeantach. Ar mholadh ón PDO, bhí an t-ábhar á athbhreithniú. Ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe, bhí moltaí an chosanta poiblí á gcur san áireamh. Bhí an t-Adventist faoiseamh óna dhualgas ar an Satharn mar gheall ar a chreideamh reiligiúnach.
Ach amháin i gcás GOC, d'fhan athdháileadh maoine a ndearnadh a choigistiú le linn an réimeas cumannach ina cheist chonspóideach. Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, níor chuir an rialtas aon eaglaisí, moscaí, sionagóga nó hallaí cruinnithe breise ar ais. Tugadh eaglais i Rabati, i réigiún Akhaltsikhe, ar ais chuig an RCC i mí na Nollag 2009. Ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe, áfach, lean an RCC ag idirbheartaíocht leis an rialtas maidir le téarmaí úinéireachta, ós rud é nach bhfuil stádas dlíthiúil ag an RCC mar gheall ar na saincheisteanna maidir le haitheantas mar eagraíocht reiligiúnach. Bhí an príomh-mosc agus dhá shínagóg i Tbilisi á n-oibriú ag a bpobail reiligiúnacha faoi seach ach d'fhan siad ina seilbh stáit. Mar sin féin, lean an t-athchóiriú ar eaglaisí GOC a tugadh ar ais roimhe sin, go páirteach le fóirdheontais rialtais, ar an mbonn gur shuíomhanna oidhreachta cultúrtha náisiúnta iad na foirgnimh. Thug an rialtas fóirdheontais freisin le haghaidh cothabháil agus caomhnú mosc ar chúiseanna den chineál céanna. D'éiligh grúpaí mionlach reiligiúnacha eile nach soláthraíonn an rialtas maoiniú ar bhonn neodrach agus cothrom. D'éiligh an AAC nach bhfuair a eaglais i Tbilisi, a dúirt ceannairí AAC go bhfuil 100,000 comhdháil á freastal aige, maoiniú toisc gur dhiúltaigh an AAC clárú leis an rialtas. Dúirt an Aireacht Cultúir nach féidir léi tionscadal athchóirithe a mhaoiniú mura bhfuil úinéir cláraithe go dlíthiúil ag an eaglais.
Bhí an-tóir ar an méid a dúirt an Coimisiún maidir le comhlíonadh na mbeart a bhí déanta ag an gCoimisiún maidir le díolacháin a dhéanamh ar an margadh. D'éiligh siad nach raibh an rialtas toilteanach díospóidí maidir le úinéireacht mhaoin eaglais shárúite a réiteach de bharr eagla go gcuirfí ionsaí ar thoghthóirí GOC.
Bhí cúram is mó ag an AAC ar chúig eaglais a thabhairt ar ais i Tbilisi agus ceann amháin in Akhaltsikhe. Mar sin féin, bhí díospóid fós maidir le stádas 30 eaglais ar a laghad eile a éilíonn an AAC. Lean díospóireacht ar fud an eaglais Norashen, a d'éiligh an AAC agus GOC araon agus a dúnadh ó 1995.
Ar 19 Samhain, 2009, thit sé i Tbilisi ar eaglais a raibh AAC ag éileamh air. De réir tuairiscí, tógadh an séipéal i 1356 ach dúnadh é le linn ré na Sóivéide agus baineadh úsáid as mar stór. Níor athoscail an séipéal tar éis neamhspleáchas na tíre, nuair a d'éirigh leis an Teideal ar an maoin a bheith ar an Aireacht Cultúir. Ar 20 Samhain 2010, d'eisigh an AAC ráiteas ag cúisíocht an rialtais agus an GOC as teip ar shuíomhanna naofa na nArmáine a chaomhnú. Thosaigh muintir Tbilisi an suíomh a ghlanadh le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, ach níor rinneadh aon dul chun cinn chun an séipéal a athbhunú.
Bhí deacrachtaí ag an RCC, ag an AAC, agus ag roinnt ainmníochtaí Protastúnacha cead a fháil chun eaglaisí nua a thógáil, mar gheall ar dhiúltú na n-údarás áitiúil ceadanna tógála a eisiúint a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ina gcontúirt d'oifigigh GOC áitiúla.
De réir an akhund (seana-cheannaire) de mosque Tbilisi Juma, bhí cead ag údaráis na cathrach ionad pobail a thógáil ar thalamh príobháideach. Níor éirigh le Moslamaigh in Ajara úinéireacht a gcuid maoine ré ré ré na Sóivéide a aisghabháil. Níor fhreagair oifigigh áitiúla iarratais athfhillteacha ar na moscaí a thabhairt ar ais. Mar sin féin, de réir ceannaire Moslamach áitiúil in Ajara, bhí beagnach na moscaí go léir ag feidhmiú in ainneoin nach raibh úinéireacht ag an bpobal Moslamach.
Lean grúpaí mionlach reiligiúnacha, lena n-áirítear na finnéithe Iósa, ag tuairisciú go raibh deacrachtaí acu ceadanna a fháil chun tithe adhradh a thógáil nó a bheith ina gcónaí iontu nó chun smacht a fháil ar áiseanna a bhí gafa le linn ré na cumannach, cé nach measann an grúpa go raibh sé riachtanach a thuilleadh seirbhísí a reáchtáil i dtithe príobháideacha ar chúiseanna slándála.
Lean na finnéithe ar aghaidh ag teacht le fadhbanna le pleananna tógála a bhí acu le haghaidh fearainn a cheannaíodh i Tbilisi. Chuir an grúpa na doiciméid riachtanacha isteach in oifig an Mhéara, ach dhiúltaíodh cead dóibh. I mí Lúnasa 2008, rinne na finnéithe achomharc i gcoinne rialtas cathrach Tbilisi mar gheall ar chead tógála a dhiúltú. I mí Feabhra 2009, chinn an Chúirt Riaracháin i bhfabhar an ghrúpa; rinne na cosantóirí achomharc ar an gcinneadh sin. Mar sin féin, d'éirigh leis na Fianais Iósafa níos déanaí an tógáil a athnuachan agus bhí an tionscadal beagnach críochnaithe ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe. Bhí roinnt eachtraí trioblóideacha eile ag baint le tionscadail tógála ag na finnéithe.
Ar roinnt ócáidí rinne na finnéithe ar an bhfód iarracht eastát réadach a cheannach in ainm a n-eagraíochta dlíthiúil, ach is minic a bhí mar thoradh ar na hiarrachtaí seo, nó bataí dlíthiúla fada nó an t-eastát roghnaithe a chailleadh do cheannaitheoir eile. Thosaigh na finnéithe ar an gcleachtas go ndéanfaí gach eastát réadach a cheannaíodh chun áiteanna a thógáil le haghaidh cruinnithe reiligiúnacha a chlárú ar dtús in ainm daoine príobháideacha agus ina dhiaidh sin úinéireacht a aistriú chuig an eagraíocht dhlíthiúil.
D'fhógair na finnéithe i Zugdidi go raibh roinnt fadhbanna ag tógáil halla ríochta (áit adhartha) i Zugdidi, lena n-áirítear fadhbanna le ceadanna tógála ón rialtas. Ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe, lean an grúpa ag fanacht le cinneadh ó na cúirteanna.
D'fhógair na Fianais Iósafa go ndearna triúr de na baill iarratas ar chead ag cathair Senaki ar 14 Iúil 2009 chun foirgneamh a úsáid chun cruinnithe reiligiúnacha a reáchtáil. Dhiúltaigh oifigigh na cathrach a n-iarratas agus d'inis siad dóibh go neamhfhoirmiúil go raibh an diúltú mar gheall ar a n-aontacht reiligiúnach. Chuir an grúpa gearán isteach leis an méara áitiúil chomh maith leis an Oifig Ionchúisimh lárnach, an PDO, an Aireacht Bonneagair agus Forbartha, agus an Aireacht Dlí agus Cirt. Eiseoíodh an cead ar 6 Meitheamh, 2010, 11 mhí tar éis don iarratas a bheith curtha isteach.
Chuir oifigigh cathrach bac ar phleananna chun ionad pobail na n-Achtal a thógáil i réigiún Avlabari i Tbilisi, agus d'fhiafraigh siad an raibh an talamh faighte go dlíthiúil ag an ngrúpa. D'éirigh leis na cúirteanna a bheith i bhfabhar na ndaoine a bhí ag obair le haghaidh na hoibreacha a bhí ag na daoine a bhí ag obair le haghaidh na hoibreacha.
Dúirt ceannairí na n-Abhcóidí gur lean na daoine ag diúltú dóibh dul isteach i hallaí a raibh níos mó ná 200 duine ina suí, agus níor chuir an PGO cúisimh i gcoinne aon duine ar bith as na diúltú seo. Dúirt na ceannairí nach raibh sé ar intinn acu brú a chur ar chúirt ach go raibh siad ag súil leis an tsaincheist a réiteach trí chead a fháil chun a n-hall mór féin a thógáil. Níor lean siad leis an bplean seo ach lean siad ar aghaidh ag iarraidh suíomhanna a fháil ar cíos.
Thuairiscigh an PDO go leanfadh fadhbanna le múinteoirí ag neartú na teolaíochta Orthodox trí urnaí sa seomra ranga agus íocáin agus siombailí reiligiúnacha eile a thaispeáint sna scoileanna. Chuir an cosantóir poiblí an fhadhb seo i gcáilíocht go raibh sé coitianta go háirithe in Ajara, áit a raibh mic léinn Moslamacha ina sprioc go minic de bhrú reiligiúnach ó mhúinteoirí Oirthocsaithe. Tá Roinn an Ghinrialtóra Ginearálta ag an Aireacht Oideachais chun déileáil le gearáin maidir le hiompar míchuí múinteoirí, lena n-áirítear sáruithe ar shaoirse reiligiúnach na mac léinn.
I gcodarsnacht leis an tréimhse tuairiscithe roimhe seo, ní raibh aon tuairiscí oifigiúla déanta chuig an PDO go raibh múinteoirí scoile poiblí agus sagairt Orthodacacha áitiúla ag cáineadh grúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha agus póstaí idirchreidmheasa nó ag magadh ar mhic léinn Caitliceacha agus Protastúnacha. Mar sin féin, lean ionadaí ó na creidimh neamh-GOC agus Ionad Trédhearcachta PDO de bheith ag creidiúint go leanfadh fadhbanna den sórt sin de bheith ann in ainneoin easpa tuairiscí oifigiúla.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, thug an RCC faoi deara go lean na tuairiscí go ndeir múinteoirí go raibh páistí a rinne an comhartha na croise sa scoil ar an mbealach orthoideachas "ag déanamh comhartha Dé", agus go raibh páistí a rinne an comhartha na croise ar an mbealach Caitliceach Rómhánach "ag déanamh comhartha an diabhail". Ghlac foirne na scoile leis go raibh leanbh ina Chríostaí Orthodox mura raibh a fhios acu a mhalairt, rud a d'fhéadfadh a bheith ina fhoinse deacrachta sa scoil. Ar an gcúis seo dúirt Caitlicigh Rómhánacha, Baisteoirí, agus Krishnas go bhfaca tuismitheoirí go raibh an timpeallacht scoile níos fearr dá gcuid leanaí mura dtugaid a dteaghlach a gcuid cleamhnas reiligiúnacha ina phobal.
Dúirt ceannairí pobail nach bhfuair siad aon ghearán le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe go raibh leanaí na n-Achtar Jehovah á ngalar nó ag déanamh idirdhealaithe ar leanaí sa scoil ag múinteoirí nó ag mic léinn.
Bhí na críocha faoi choimhlint Abkhazia agus Ossetia Theas fós lasmuigh de rialú an rialtais lárnaigh, agus bhí sé deacair faisnéis iontaofa a fháil ó na réigiúin sin. D'eisigh ceannaire na Abkhaz ordú i 1995 a chuir cosc ar na finnéithe Iarthair i réigiún na Abkhaz ach níor cuireadh i bhfeidhm é. D'fhógair an grúpa go lean sé ag seoladh seirbhísí in Abkhazia ach gur theorannú a chuid gníomhaíochtaí mar gheall ar an dhlí.
D'fhógair Baisteoirí, Luitéaraigh, agus Caitlicigh Rómhánacha go raibh cead acu oibriú san Abkhazia, ach thuairiscigh an GOC nach raibh sé in ann é sin a dhéanamh. I 2008 ghlac an Sínod Naofa na Rúise rún ag aithint go hoifigiúil dlínse an GOC ar na diaipéisí in Abkhazia agus Ossetia Theas. Mar sin féin, ar 16 Meán Fómhair 2009, dhearbhaigh Eaglais Cheartchreidmheach Abkhaz "saoirse" ón GOC.
I Osseetia Theas, níorbh fhéidir le lucht leanúna GOC seirbhísí a reáchtáil in eaglaisí GOC atá suite in aice le sráidbhailte eitneacha na Gréige Nuli, Eredvi, Monasteri, agus Gera toisc go raibh na ceantair seo faoi rialú údaráis Osseetia Theas de facto. Bhí deacrachtaí ag daoine aonair a bhí ina gcónaí lasmuigh d'Abhsais agus d'Ossetia Theas ag trasnú na dteorainneacha riaracháin agus, dá bhrí sin, bhí teorainn acu le cumas cuairt a thabhairt ar shuíomhanna uafásach baill teaghlaigh laistigh de na críocha, go háirithe i Osetia Theas. D'éirigh leis an staid a fheabhsú beagán le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, agus ceadaíodh roinnt cuairteanna, go háirithe ar laethanta saoire reiligiúnacha.
Lean an coimisinéir ar an gceart chun an t-údarás náisiúnta a chur i bhfeidhm, agus bhí sé i gceist leis an gceart a chur i bhfeidhm. Ní raibh ach eagraíocht Mhuslamach amháin de Ajara in ann clárú dlíthiúil a fháil trí theacht go Tbilisi chun é sin a dhéanamh tar éis di a bheith diúltaithe ag oifigigh áitiúla.
Mí-úsáidí Saoirse Reiligiúnaí
Ar an 1 Samhain, 2009, thosaigh an rialtas imscrúdú ar shraith físeáin a cuireadh ar Facebook toisc gur chuir siad mí-cháil ar phatriarch GOC. D'fhág ionchúisitheoirí dhá dhuine faoi choimeád agus scaoileadh siad iad agus ghabh siad trealamh ríomhaireachta agus físeáin le linn an imscrúdaithe. Rinne eagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha agus ionadaithe na sochaí sibhialta cáineadh ar an imscrúdú, ag rá go raibh sé ag srianadh saoirse cainte. Ar an 3 Samhain, 2009, d'iarr an PDO ar an Aireacht Gnóthaí Intíre agus ar an PGO a rá go poiblí faoin alt den chód coiriúil a cuireadh an imscrúdú ar bun. De réir ionadaí an PDO, níor fuair siad freagra ar a litir fiosrúcháin.
D'fhógair na finnéithe i Tbilisi ar an 17 Iúil 2009 gur cuireadh duine den phobal i mbaol agus gur cuireadh é i mbaol go fisiciúil. Chuir an duine aonair gearán isteach, agus bhí an t-imscrúdú ar feitheamh ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe.
Bhí roinnt cásanna, a cuireadh isteach cheana féin leis an gCúirt Eorpach um Chearta an Duine (ECHR), tar éis moill ar feadh tréimhsí fada i gcúirteanna áitiúla. Bhí na cásanna seo bainteach le gníomhartha mídhleathacha a líomhnaíodh, lena n-áirítear ionsaithe foréigneacha ag oifigigh póilíní agus oifigigh rialtais eile i gcoinne na ndaoine a bhí ag obair le Fiannachtóirí Iúchóis i 2001. Ach, chinn an Chúirt Uachtarach nach raibh na haireanna inghlactha. Dá bhrí sin, bhí na hais seo ag baint úsáide as gach leigheas intíre, agus bhí nuashonruithe á ullmhú don ECHR. Bhí cúigear cásanna ag na finnéithe i gcoinne an rialtais ag an ECHR, a léiríonn gearáin faoi iompú foréigneach gan leigheas breithiúnach ina dhiaidh sin, gníomhartha mídhleathacha oifigeach póilíní agus oifigeach rialtais eile, agus díothú eintitis dhlíthiúla na n-Aifreann.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, rinne an rialtas imscrúdú ar roinnt cásanna de chur isteach, bagairtí, eagla nó foréigean. D'athraigh an PGO an t-amhrán maidir le cásanna a d'eascair tar éis 2003, i bhfianaise a acmhainní imscrúdaithe agus ionchúiseamh teoranta. Chláraigh an PGO go leanfaí le himscrúduithe roimh 2003 nuair a bhí sé indéanta ach thug sé tosaíocht do chásanna nua. Thug grúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha le fios go bhféadfadh sé seo a bheith ina chúis le deireadh a chur le cásanna a d'fhéadfaí a imscrúdú faoi dhlí a bhí ann roimh 2003.
Ní raibh aon tuairiscí ar phríosúnaigh reiligiúnacha sa tír.
Athrú Creideamh Iallach
Ní raibh aon tuairiscí ar thiontú reiligiúnach éigeantach.
Feabhsuithe agus Forbairtí Dea-Aonóracha i dtaca le Saoirse Reiligiúnach
Ar 21 Márta 2010, thug an tUachtarán Saakashvili cuairt ar chathair Marneuli, ina bhfuil mórchuid de mhuintir na hAsaire agus Moslamach, i réigiún Kvemo Kartli chun comóradh a dhéanamh ar Nowruz-Bairam, ar a dtugtar "Bliain Nua na Peirsí" go coitianta, a dhearbhaigh sé mar saoire náisiúnta. Ar 25 Nollaig, 2009, thug an t-uachtarán cuairt ar Eaglais Chaitliceach Rómhánach agus chuir sé fáilte roimh phobal na Caitliceach ar an saoire Nollag. Ar 20 Nollaig, 2009, thug an tUachtarán Saakashvili cuairt ar mhosc i Batumi agus labhair sé faoin gcomhbhéith bhráithreach idir Críostaithe agus Moslamaigh sa tír. Ar 28 Samhain, 2009, cheiliúradh an t-uachtarán Kurban Bairam, "Eid Mór", leis an bpobal Moslamach áitiúil ag mosc Tbilisi.
Ar 16 Samhain 2009, comóradh an PDO "Laethanta Idirnáisiúnta na Dulaingt". Thug an Cosantóir Poiblí Giorgi Tugushi onóir do roinnt eagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha intíre agus do dhaoine aonair leis an teideal "Advocates for Tolerance" as a gcuid ranníocaíochta chun dul chun cinn a dhéanamh ar tholarachas. Bhí ionadaithe ó na mór-reiligiúin agus ó na mórghrúpaí mionlaigh eitneacha san ócáid. Thug Tugushi le fios go soiléir go raibh toilteanas maidir le saincheisteanna mionlaigh agus reiligiúnacha mar thosaíocht dá théarma oifige.
Ar 15 Meán Fómhair 2009, d'oscail an t-sinagóg Ashkenazi 150 bliain d'aois, a ndearnadh damáiste mór dó i dtimpeallacht 1991 , i seancheantar Tbilisi. I measc na n-oifigigh a bhí i láthair ag an searmanas a bhí ina athoscailt bhí an tUachtarán Saakashvili, Leas-Uachtarán na Parlaiminte Gigi Tsereteli, agus an tAire Stáit um Ath-Inteagrú Temur Iakobashvili. Ag labhairt leis an bpobal Giúdach taobh istigh den sionagóg nua, leag Saakashvili béim ar áilleacht sheancheantar Tbilisi, áit a bhfuil dhá shionagóg, mosc, eaglais Orthodox Gearóige, agus eaglais Airméineach taobh le taobh, agus áit a labhraíonn muintir na háite Gearóige, Yiddish, Airméineach, agus Azeri teangacha, ag maireachtáil go síochánta. Bhí clúdach forleathan ar an imeacht sna meáin.
Roinn III. Staid an Chórais um Urraim don Shaoirse Reiligiúnaigh
Bhí tuairiscí leanúnacha ann maidir le mí-úsáidí sochaíocha nó idirdhealú bunaithe ar cheangal reiligiúnach, creideamh nó cleachtas. Tuairiscíodh go raibh teagmhais ionsaithe i Tbilisi agus lasmuigh de, a raibh saoránaigh áitiúla, oifigigh rialtais, agus spreagóirí Oirtheagais i gceist leo. Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, bhí grúpaí mionlach reiligiúnacha "traditúrtha", lena n-áirítear Caitlicigh, Críostaithe Apostolacha na hArmáine, agus Moslamaigh, ina n-íospartaigh do ghéarú. Bhí imní ar roinnt baill den GOC agus ar an bpobal i gcónaí i leith mionlaigh reiligiúnacha "neamhthraidisiúnta", amhail na Fianna Iehova, na Peinticeach, agus na Baiste. Bhí daoine áirithe ag féachaint ar ghrúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha mar bhagairt don eaglais náisiúnta agus do luachanna cultúrtha na tíre.
Le linn na tréimhse tuairiscithe, bhí torann agus ionsaithe ag grúpaí fundamentalist Orthodox na Gréige a raibh daoine neamhspleácha agus cléiri a áireamh iontu ag roinnt grúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha. I measc na ngalar a bhí orthu bhí páipéar a dháileadh ag rabhadh tuismitheoirí faoi pedofilia sa Eaglais Chaitliceach Rómhánach; agóid sráide a reáchtáil ar shuíomh ionad pobail Moslamach Tbilisi, áit a d'aithin Moslamaigh áitiúla go raibh go leor de na híomhánna agóidigh ag brú orthu agus ag rá leo an tír a fhágáil (thug siad freisin cé gur tháinig na póilíní agus an staid a shlaochú, níor rinneadh aon ghabháil); agus agóid mhór a chur ar siúl ag oscailt saoráid chultúrtha nua Assyrian. Dúirt an GOC cé go raibh cléirí sna grúpaí sin, nach raibh na grúpaí ina gcuid oifigiúil den GOC. Dúirt ceann ceann amháin de na grúpaí seo, Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Oirthocsaide, nach ndearna a eagraíocht aon fhoréigean riamh.
Ar 7 Bealtaine 2010, d'fhorbair díospóireacht ar chlár Teilifíse Kavkasia Barieri (Barra) idir ceannairí dhá ghrúpa bunúsach Oirtheagais na Seorasaí agus lucht tacaíochta go dtí fistfight. Tuairiscíodh go ndearna ionadaithe ó na grúpaí bunscoile Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Orthodox agus an Ghluaiseacht Chríostaí Orthodox Poiblí ionsaí ó bhéal agus ó thaobh na fisice ar roinnt de na hóstach ar an gclár agus ar fhoireann an stáisiúin. Tugadh glaoch ar na póilíní chuig an stiúideo agus cuireadh ochtar duine ar a laghad i gcúram, agus bhí cúisimh ag seacht duine acu agus bhí siad i gcoimeád riaracháin ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe.
Tuairiscíodh ag ceann an Ionaid Dulaingt laistigh den PDO, an 4 Bealtaine 2010, gur bhuail ball de ghrúpa bunúsach Oirtheagais na Seorasaí ar a cheann é le linn rally chun tacú le foilsiú leabhar a bhí criticiúil ar an GOC. De réir tuairiscí, chuir grúpaí Chríostaí Orthodox an-mhór isteach ar an rally, a ndearna cuid de na baill ionsaí fisiciúil ar thaispeántóirí. D'fhógair sé freisin gur iarracht an póilíní na taobhanna i gcoinne a scaradh ach nár ghlac siad na bearta cuí, lena n-áirítear gan aon ghabháil a dhéanamh.
D'fhógair ionadaithe ó phobal na Peinteacóiste go ndearnadh conarthaí fógraíochta le roinnt suíomhanna Gréasáin a chealú tar éis eachtra Kavkasia TV toisc go raibh eagla ar na cuideachtaí go mbeadh siad ina sprioc do na grúpaí bunleibhéil. Dúirt na hionadaithe freisin nach raibh siad in ann conarthaí fógraíochta a dhéanamh le haghaidh bpíbhladaí i stáisiúin fothrach mar gheall ar eagla den chineál céanna.
Tuairiscíodh ionadaithe den phobal Moslamach go gcreideann siad go bhfuil moill ar cheadúnas chun a n-ionad pobail a thógáil mar gheall ar achainí a chomhdaíodh le bardais Tbilisi ag Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Orthodox.
Ar 10 Nollaig, 2009, d'óstáil Ollscoil Stáit Ilia comhdháil ar an Ioslam. Mar sin féin, thuairiscigh an cosantóir poiblí nár éirigh le cuid an chomhaontaithe a phlé mar gheall ar mhealladh ó chuid de bhaill de Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Orthodox.
Ar an 17 Deireadh Fómhair, 2009, osclaíodh ionad cultúrtha Assyrian i Tbilisi, faoi mhaoirseacht na hEaglaise Chaitliceach Rómhánach. Ar an lá a osclaíodh, chuir Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Orthodacacha cosc ar thús an ionaid go sealadach agus chuir siad banners frith-Caitliceach ar taispeáint. Bhí na póilíní in ann an bealach isteach chuig an eaglais a oscailt go gairid sula thosaigh an searmanas oscailte. Ar 15 Deireadh Fómhair, bhí agóid lá amháin i láthair os comhair ambasáid na Vatacáine. Bhí banners ag na hiomaitheoirí a raibh teanga mí-insinsintúil, xenophobic orthu. De réir an chosanta poiblí, ar an 6 agus 7 Deireadh Fómhair, chuaigh grúpa de 80 duine faoi stiúir Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Orthodox isteach i sráidbhailte Arali agus Vale i gceantar Adigeni, áit a bhfuil an chuid is mó den daonra Caitliceach. De réir tuairiscí, d'eisigh an grúpa leabhráin ina raibh teanga na fuath, ag rá gur pedophiles na sagairt Chaitliceacha (ainmníodh sagairt Chaitliceacha sonracha).
Ar 16 Meán Fómhair, 2009, chuir ionadaithe ó ghrúpaí bunúsacha Orthodox na Gréige bac ar dheisiú ar mhosc i sráidbhaile eitneach-Azeri traidisiúnta. Éilíonn baill an ghrúpa cead tógála na sráidbhaile a fheiceáil, in ainneoin nach raibh an ceart dlíthiúil acu é sin a dhéanamh, agus bagairt a chur ar na sráidbhaile le foréigean mura gcuirfí deireadh leis an tógáil. Dúirt baill phobail na sráidbhaile gur fuair siad cead ó údaráis áitiúla. Ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe, ní raibh na deisiúcháin críochnaithe, ós rud é nach raibh an cheist maidir le cead oifigiúil ón rialtas socraithe. Lean baill den ghrúpa Orthodox ar aghaidh ag faire ag an mosque chun a chinntiú nach leanfadh muintir na sráidbhaile le deisiú. Dheimhnigh ceann Comhairle na dTuismitheoirí Oirthocsaideacha, ceann de na grúpaí a bhí i gceist, go raibh siad ag glacadh páirt sa chlog mar go bhfuil tógáil ar an mosc gan na ceadúnais cheart mídhleathach.
D'fhógair roinnt mionlaigh reiligiúnacha go leanann na meáin ag cur in aghaidh na n-eagla. Thug roinnt ceannairí mionlach reiligiúnach faoi deara nach raibh an meán ag clúdach a gcuid gníomhaíochtaí.
Ar 27 Márta 2010, agus trí huaire in 2009, bhí daoine i measc na ndaoine a bhí gan bheith ina ndaoine de chuid na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine a bhí ina ndaoine de chuid na ndaoine a bhí ina ndaoine de chuid na ndaoine a bhí ina ndaoine de chuid na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine a bhí ina ndaoine de chuid na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine a bhí i measc na ndaoine. I ngach cás, tuairiscíodh na teagmhas do na húdaráis; bhí imscrúduithe ar feitheamh ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe.
Ar an 7 Márta 2010, rinne beirt duine a bhí ag ól deochanna deochanna ionsaí ar an halla ríochta i Tbilisi, agus chaith siad clocha isteach sa fhoirgneamh. Cuireadh gearán isteach leis an bPróiseálaí Príomh agus leis an PDO. D'éiligh gearán eile go raibh na húinéirí roimhe seo ar an talamh a tógadh an halla ann ag eagrú agóide ar 9 Aibreán 2010, chun cosc a chur ar Thuismitheoirí na hEoraí an halla a úsáid. Bhí imscrúduithe ar feitheamh ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe. De réir na ndaoine a bhí ag ól, dúnadh an cás i gcoinne na ndaoine a bhí ag ól toisc nach raibh na daoine sin le fáil. De réir na hAireachta Dlí agus Cirt, dúnadh an cás ar an 17 Aibreán, 2010, toisc go raibh an damáiste don halla níos lú ná $ 82 (150 lari) agus, faoin gcód nós imeachta coiriúil, níor mheasadh damáiste suntasach go leor chun ionchúiseamh coiriúil a dhéanamh. De réir na n-Abhcóirí, dúnadh an gearán i gcoinne an iar-úinéir talún toisc gur chinntear nach ndearnadh aon chion coiriúil.
Ar 13 Nollaig, 2009, thuairiscigh na finnéithe ar an gcathair Martvili go raibh cúig fhear ag bualadh le beirt a bhí ina n-aontaithe agus ag rá leo an chathair a fhágáil. D'fhógair siad go raibh duine de na hionsaitheoirí ag obair ag Roinn Pasanna Martvili de chuid na hAireachta Dlí agus Cirt. D'éiligh siad go raibh ionsaíóir eile ag obair ag bardais na cathrach agus go raibh tríú ionsaíóir ag obair i gCúirt Dúiche Martvili. Chuir siad gearán isteach le hOifig an Phróiseora. De réir na hAireachta Dlí agus Cirt, d'iarr an dá bhall de na finnéithe Jehovah go gcuirfeadh aonad Martvili na hAireachta Gnóthaí Intí an t-imscrúdú ar deireadh toisc go raibh siad ag déanamh ionsaithe ó bhéal ach ní ag ionsaí go fisiciúil. Dá bhrí sin, cuireadh deireadh leis an imscrúdú ar an 4 Bealtaine 2010.
Ar 22 Deireadh Fómhair, 2009, i gceantar Vazisubani i Tbilisi, bhuail daoine beirt a bhí ina n-Achtanna agus chuir siad gunna orthu. Thug na póilíní na híospartaigh go dtí an stáisiún póilíní agus thosaigh siad cás coiriúil. Tugadh faisnéis don Phríomh-Achtarán Oifige agus don chosantóir poiblí freisin. De réir an PDO agus an Aireacht Dlí agus Cirt, bhí imscrúduithe ar feitheamh ag deireadh na tréimhse tuairiscithe. De réir na hAireachta Dlí agus Cirt, comhoiriúnaíodh an uimhir phláta cláraithe a aithníodh ag finnéithe le carr a bhaineann le hAireacht na Gnóthaí Intíre a bhí neamh-oibrithe ó 2007.
Ar 20 Deireadh Fómhair, 2009, ag an suíomh tógála halla ríochta i Zugdidi, bhris daoine gan ainm balla sreinge agus éiligh siad ar na finnéithe ar an talamh a fhágáil. Cé gur tháinig na póilíní go tapa, níor ghlac siad aon ghníomhaíocht. Níos déanaí an lá sin rinne slua níos mó de thart ar 150 duine insult a rinne do bhaill den phobal agus spit isteach i tobar ar an suíomh. D'fhill na póilíní ach níor ghlac siad aon ghníomhaíocht. Níos déanaí an oíche sin tháinig thart ar 20 duine isteach sa láithreán agus rinne siad ionsaí fisiciúil ar cheithre bhall. Tháinig na póilíní ach níor ghlac siad bearta cosanta. D'iarr na finnéithe ar an Aire go ndéanfaí cás coiriúil a oscailt agus gheall an leas-cheannasaí póilíní cosaint a chur ar fáil. Ar an 17 Samhain, 2009, d'athraigh an obair ar an suíomh. Bhí póilíní i láthair agus chinntigh siad nach gcuirfeadh ionsaitheoirí bac ar an obair.
Ar 20 Deireadh Fómhair 2009, cuireadh géarleanúint ar dhaoine a bhí ina n-aonar le finnéithe ar an gcathair Gvankiti. Tugadh faisnéis don póilíní áitiúil, don Phríomh-Oifig Ionchúisimh, agus don PDO. Ar 12 Bealtaine 2010, tugadh fógra do na finnéithe a raibh an t-imscrúdú críochnaithe. Bhí sé i gceist ag na finnéithe ar an gcinntí achomharc a dhéanamh. De réir na hAireachta Dlí agus Cirt, cuireadh deireadh leis an imscrúdú ar an 27 Deireadh Fómhair, 2009, mar gheall ar easpa fianaise go ndearnadh coir. De réir na hoibre, dúirt finnéithe eile a ndearnadh agallamh leo go cé gur scrios an t-ionchúisitheoir ábhar reiligiúnach, níor tharla aon ionsaí fisiciúil.
Ar an 3 Iúil, 2009, i mbaile Akhalkalaki, bhuail sagart GOC Irakli Khomeriki ball de na finnéithe i bhéal. Ar an 7 Iúil, 2009, comhdhlúthadh gearán leis an GPO agus leis an gcosaint phoiblí. Tosaíodh cás coiriúil, agus fuair Khomeriki rabhadh oifigiúil.
D'fhógair na finnéithe gurbh é an t-aon rud a bhí ag teastáil ó 2004 ná go raibh siad in ann áiteanna a fháil ar cíos i Tbilisi chun cruinnithe reiligiúnacha móra a reáchtáil.
I 2009, chuir na finnéithe ar fáil liosta de 35 eachtra a bhaineann le hacmhainní, agus tuairiscíodh iad go léir do na húdaráis rialtais. Thuairiscigh an grúpa nach raibh ach cúisithe ar dhuine aonair in dhá chás; d'fhan an chuid eile gan réiteach in ainneoin a n-éileamh go raibh a fhios ag na húdaráis cé hiad na harassers. Baineann na gearáin le hairíonna a bhaineann le géarghá nuair a dhéanann baill de na finnéithe ar an Tiarna iarracht labhairt le daoine eile faoina gcreideamh; damáiste fisiciúil a dhéanamh do áiteanna cruinnithe, go háirithe do hallaí ríochta atá á dtógáil, agus do ghluaisteáin a bhaineann leis na foirgnimh; agus do ghnéas foréigean fisiciúil. Ina theannta sin bhí cásanna iomadúla de chrosanna péinteáilte ar dheireadh na hallaí ríochta agus na foirgnimh agus graifíte eile.
Lean an GOC ag gearán go raibh Seimineár Theolaíoch Moscó an ROC ag oiliúint sagart Abkhaz le haghaidh seirbhíse san Abkhazia, an réigiún scoir. In ainneoin an bhfíric go n-aithníonn ROC an GOC mar eaglais dlisteanach san Abkhazia, d'éiligh patriarchate GOC go raibh an ROC ag seoladh sagart dílis do phatriarchate ROC i Moscó faoi chúlra eaglaisí dúchasacha Abkhaz a bhunú.
Thuairiscigh an RCC go raibh timpeallacht naimhdeach os comhair Caitlicigh Rómhánacha i réigiún Adigeni sa deisceart, chomh maith le cathair Akhaltsikhe.
Thuairiscigh an PDO go ndeachaigh mionlaigh reiligiúnacha chuige 41 uair maidir le cásanna féideartha sárú ar a gcearta in 2009. Bhí na póilíní tapa chun freagairt do eachtraí mí-úsáid ach níos moille chun leanúint suas coireanna a mheas siad mar "hooliganism" beag, sainithe mar ghníomhartha a shárú ord poiblí nó a thaispeáint méarbhall oscailte i leith an tsochaí trí úsáid a bhaint as foréigean nó bagairtí foréigean.
Sa dara leath de 2009, thuairiscigh an cosantóir poiblí go raibh na fadhbanna mar an gcéanna. Níor cuireadh tús leis an bpróiseas chun maoin mhionlaigh reiligiúnacha a confiscated le linn na tréimhse Sóivéadaí a aisíoc; bhí an córas cánach do ghrúpaí mionlaigh reiligiúnacha difriúil ó rialtas na Síne; dhiúltaigh an RCC, an ACC, agus na Moslamaigh clárú de réir an mhodha atá ann cheana, ós rud é go raibh clárú mar eintiteas dlíthiúil seachas mar eagraíocht reiligiúnach ina neamhghlactha; níor comhlíonadh ceanglais an Dlí um Oideachas Ginearálta i scoileanna meánscoile; níor chomhlíon na hoibrithe dlí an dlí agus níor imoibrigh siad go leordhóthanach nuair a bhí coir spreagtha ag neamhfhulaingt reiligiúnach; ní raibh cead ag sagairt de dhionlaigh eile dul isteach i háiteanna coinneála gan cead an phatriarcachta; agus thug na meáin rialaithe ag an stát an-bheag, más ann, clúdach ar fhadhbanna a bhaineann le mionlaigh reiligiúnacha.
I mí Dheireadh Fómhair 2008 tharla an ceann deireanach de shraith ionsaithe damáisteach ar an teach urnaí Eangailiceach-Péinteacóiste i mbaile Vani. Tar éis idirghabháil an PDO, cuireadh imeachtaí coiriúla i ngleic leis an bpríomh-Phoifigeach Póilíneachta. I mí na Nollag 2008, áfach, cuireadh deireadh leis an imscrúdú coiriúil ar fhorais féin-chosaint.
Bhí an t-amhrán a bhí suite i sráidbhaile Mukhaestate i réigiún Kobuleti á áitiú ag póilíní áitiúla, agus bhí "stúideo damhsa" ag mosc eile i mbaile Kobuleti. Sa cheantar Adigeni, bhí thart ar seacht mosc tógtha ag Moslamaigh Meskhetian nach raibh gníomhach agus a bhí á n-úsáid ag daoine eile chun a gcuid beithíoch a choinneáil. Ní raibh an daonra Moslamach (a bhí comhdhéanta den chuid is mó de imirceoirí ó Ajara) in ann na moscaí sin a aisghabháil. D'iarr Meskhetians a d'fhill ar bhaile Abastumani a mosc a thabhairt ar ais freisin.
Roinn IV. Beartas Rialtais na Stát Aontaithe
Pléann rialtas na Stát Aontaithe saoirse reiligiúnach leis an rialtas mar chuid dá bheartas foriomlán chun cearta daonna a chur chun cinn. Bhí ambasáid na Stát Aontaithe ag plé le pobail reiligiúnacha ó gach creideamh. Bhí oifigigh an ambasáid, lena n-áirítear an t-ambasadóir, ag bualadh go minic le hionadaithe ó pharlaimint, le grúpaí agus ceannairí reiligiúnacha éagsúla, agus le NGOanna a raibh imní orthu faoi shaoirse reiligiúna. Chuir an ambasáid saoirse reiligiúnach agus fulaingt chun cinn trí úsáid a bhaint as taidhleoireacht phoiblí, lena n-áirítear óráidí agus agallaimh le preas ag ard-oifigeach rialtais na Stát Aontaithe agus ionadaithe ambasáid.
Thug an ambasáid imní go díreach chuig an rialtas freisin lena n-áirítear an Aireacht um Chearta agus Cúnamh Dlí maidir le rochtain ar phríosúnaigh ag gach ionadaí reiligiúnach, an Aireacht Oideachais maidir le cóireáil reiligiúin i scoileanna agus i gcuraclam, agus an Aireacht Dlí agus Cirt maidir le fiosrúchán ar ionsaithe a d'fhéadfadh a bheith spreagadh go reiligiúnach.
Ar 8 Bealtaine 2010, rinne ambasadóir na Stát Aontaithe ráiteas a chraoladh ag gach príomh-ionad nuachta ag cur a chuid imní in iúl maidir leis an eachtra ag stiúideonna teilifíse Kavkasia agus na himpleachtaí níos mó a bhí ag an ócáid maidir le saoirse cainte, éagsúlacht tuairimí, smaointe agus creidimh.
Ar 5 Bealtaine 2010, thug an t-ambasadóir cuairt ar réigiún Apostolach Samtskhe-Javakheti, ina bhfuil an chuid is mó de na heirmeánaigh / na heirmeánaigh, áit ar bhuail sé le hionadaithe ó eagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha a dhírigh ar shaoirse reiligiúnacha agus ar dhíchothaitheacht. Bhuail sé freisin le ceann AAC i gcathair Akhalkalaki ina bhfuil an chuid is mó de na hAirméinigh. Bhí oifigigh ambasáid ag taisteal go rialta chuig an réigiún agus ag bualadh le hoifigigh rialtais áitiúla agus le hionadaithe na sochaí sibhialta chun saoirse reiligiúnach a phlé. Thug oifigigh na n-ambasad cuairt ar roinnt eaglaisí a raibh díospóid acu idir GOC agus AAC, ag cur béime ar an tábhacht a bhaineann le cothabháil na n-eaglaisí seo agus fadhbanna úinéireachta á réiteach.
Ar 27 Aibreán 2010, thug an t-ambasadóir cuairt ar réigiún Kvemo Kartli, áit a bhfuil Moslamach/Eitneach Azeri den chuid is mó agus ar mhosc i gcathair Marneuli. Bhí oifigigh an ambasáid ag bualadh go rialta leis an akhund, ceannaire reiligiúnach an chuid is mó de na Moslamaigh sa tír, ag an mosc i Tbilisi. D'fhreastail oifigigh an ambasáid ar cheiliúradh Eid sa sráidbhaile i gceantar Bolnisi, áit a raibh conspóid timpeall athchóiriú mosque ar 20 Meán Fómhair, 2009. Bhuail oifigigh an ambasáid le baill den phobal Moslamach i Tbilisi a bhí ag iarraidh ionad pobail a thógáil agus thug siad cuairt ar an suíomh tógála beartaithe ar 10 Nollaig, 2009.
Ar 10 Nollaig 2009, chun onóir a thabhairt do Lá Chearta an Duine 2009, d'óstáil an t-ambasadóir imeacht ina chónaí chun plé a éascú i measc ceannairí ó phobail mhionlaigh reiligiúnacha agus an GOC. Bhí ceannairí ó shochaí shibhialta a bhí ag obair i réimse na tuisceana reiligiúnacha chomh maith le Cosantóir Poiblí um Chearta an Duine an rialtais san ócáid.
I mí na Nollag 2009 bhuail an t-ambasadóir le patriarch na SAG. Bhuail oifigigh an ambasáid freisin le ceannaire an ghrúpa bunúsach Oirtheagais Ghearóidigh Aontas na dTuismitheoirí Oirtheagais chun idé-eolaíocht, modhanna agus imní an ghrúpa a phlé. Bhuail oifigigh an ambasáid go rialta le hoifigigh ó phobail Chríostaí mionlaigh agus thug siad cuairt ar a n-ionad pobail agus ar a gcuid heaglaisí lena n-áirítear na Baisteoirí, na Fiannachtóirí Iófa, na Caitlicigh Rómhánacha, agus na Peinticeolaithe.
Chuir oifigigh an ambasáid idirphlé idir an rialtas agus pobail mhionlaigh eitneacha agus reiligiúnacha agus a n-idirghabháil sa tsochaí chun cinn. Chun tacú le forbairt na sochaí sibhialta i réigiúin mionlaigh eitneach agus reiligiúnacha, d'oibrigh an ambasáid le heagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha chun seimineáir um fhorbairt acmhainneachta, cláir shóisialta a eagrú, deiseanna líonraithe le heagraíochtaí neamhrialtasacha intíre agus idirnáisiúnta, agus tuilleamh i dtionscadail scoile. Thug an ambasáid deontais bheaga do NGOanna áitiúla a bhí ag obair ar shaincheisteanna mionlaigh agus a bhí ag faireachán ar chur i bhfeidhm an rialtais ar an gclár Comhtháthaithe Náisiúnta agus Tuilleamh.
Bhí oifigigh an ambasáid i láthair ag oscailt an t-sinagóige nua i Tbilisi agus bhuail siad go rialta le ceannairí ó phobal na nGiúdach, lena n-áirítear an príomh-rabí. Ar 20 Deireadh Fómhair 2009, thug cuairteoirí ó Roinn Stáit na Stát Aontaithe cuairt ar scoil Eabhrais Tbilisi agus d'fhreastail siad ar fheidhmíocht ó na mic léinn.
Chuir an ambasáid maoiniú ar roinnt tionscadal chun dlúthdhiosca a chothú, lena n-áirítear deontais taighde, cur i láthair clár cuairteoirí, agus urraitheoirí clár cainteoirí. Ó 29 Márta go 17 Aibreán 2010, trí Chlár Ceannaireachta Cuairteoirí Idirnáisiúnta, thaistil ceannairí ó phobail mhionlaigh eitneacha agus reiligiúnacha go dtí na Stáit Aontaithe go sonrach chun díriú ar shaincheisteanna mionlaigh agus tuisceana. Lean rialtas na Stát Aontaithe ar aghaidh ag maoiniú tionscadal ceithre bliana, $ 2.7 milliún (4.9 milliún lari) chun mothú níos mó d'aontacht náisiúnta a chur chun cinn i measc na saoránach trí thacaíocht a thabhairt don rialtas lena straitéis chomhtháthaithe náisiúnta agus a phlean gníomhaíochta a fhoirmiú, agus cuid thábhachtach den phlean sin ná fhulaingt idirchreidmheach a chur chun cinn. Thug an tionscadal cúnamh teicniúil, oiliúint éagsúlachta agus deontais bheaga do NGOanna áitiúla, agus thacaigh sé freisin le seó seachtainiúil ar an teilifís phoiblí a bhí tiomanta do shaincheisteanna comhtháthaithe agus díchill, ar a raibh ceannairí creidimh suntasacha le feiceáil.
Cuidíonn an Grúpa Oibre um Dhaonlathas, atá mar chuid de choimisiún déthaobhach níos mó, le fadhbanna a aithint le haghaidh plé chomh maith le réimsí comhair agus dá bhrí sin spreagann sé agus tomhais sé dul chun cinn i réimsí amhail saoirse reiligiúnach. Tháinig an grúpa le chéile i mí na Samhna 2009.