Georgian Orthodox Church considers unacceptable the attack on the Armenian Church in Tbilisi
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YEREVAN, JULY 21, ARMENPRESS. Previously was reported that on July 19, 2014, a pre-
planned attack was perpetrated on the representatives of the Armenian Church of St. Etchmiadzin located in
Tbilisi, which was motivated by ethnic and religious hatred. As reports “Armenpress”, this was stated in a pressrelease issued by the Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Holy Church in Georgia. The statement inparticular runs as follows:
“On July 19, 2014, a pre-planned attack was perpetrated on the representatives of the Armenian Church of
St. Etchmiadzin located in Tbilisi, which was motivated by ethnic and religious hatred. At around 4 pm, a
provocation was organized on a territory adjacent to the yard of the Church. After an unsuccessful attempt to
drive from the territory adjacent to the yard of the Church, a person got outraged and began to reproach a
clergyman, whose car was allegedly blocking her way. Soon, two openly aggressive men arrived on the sceneand helped to take out the vehicle. The clergyman entered the administrative building of the Armenian Diocesein Georgia, while young deacons, who stood outside, heard the men using foul language against Armenians.
When people began to protest this move, the man got off the vehicle, took a truncheon, continued to use
obscene language, picked up a stone, and attempted to hit the representatives of the Armenian Diocese. Whenthe personnel of the Armenian Diocese heard these voices, they rushed outside hoping to calm down thesituation. At this time, one of the employees of the Diocese was hit in the back, and a short fight ensued.
About two hours later following this incident, the above-mentioned man mobilized a group of about 50 males,
some of them equipped with cold arms. These men approached the Church and began to fight with the clergyand the personnel of the Diocese, using obscene language against Armenians. During this situation, a baptizingceremony was held in the Church; the ceremony participants ran outside the Church at the scream and werealso assaulted by the attackers. Shocked by the situation, women and children sought shelter in the Church.
Notably, this situation was supposedly being watched by a group of individuals, who looked well dressed. As
a result of this attack, the clergymen and the personnel of the Armenian Diocese were inflicted injuries, while
one of the clergymen was ripped off a cross taken by the attackers.
We urge the Georgian Law Enforcement Authorities to categorize these actions and investigate them as a
crime committed based on ethnic and religious hatred.
To a certain degree, this incident is a result of anti-Armenian campaign pursued by some of the Media sources,and sadly, by some of the representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church. We call on the Media to refrainfrom spreading the anti-Armenian sentiments in society. We call on the Supreme Hierarchs of the GeorgianOrthodox Church to publicly condemn any actions motivated by the ethnic and religious hatred and to preachthe Christian kindness and love.
We cherish the internal stability of Georgia and centuries-old inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in
the country and urge the Georgian Authorities to take all appropriate measures to prevent a schism in the
Georgian society, based on ethnic and religious grounds.”
Georgian Orthodox Church considers unacceptable the attack on representatives of Armenian Church of
St. Etchmiadzin located in Tbilisi. The head of Press service of Georgian Orthodox Church Michael Botkovelimentioned about this during the conversation with “Armenpress”. “ I do not aware of the case, but if therewas such a thing, then I consider it unacceptable and impossible. Law enforcement bodies will deal with that”Michael Botkoveli said.