Interior ministry launches investigation into assault after TV broadcast of video of Orthodox church members
A statement released by the interior ministry said its investigation was looking into the matter with potential charges of “persecution” and unlawful dissemination of information on private life through media. Photo: video grab.
Tweet 
Share
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has started an investigation after a video footage allegedly showing an assault on an Orthodox church member by his colleague was broadcast on TV on Sunday.
The inquiry follows video footage released by TV Pirveli and showing both the assailant and his alleged victim dressed as clergymen. In the footage, the victim is assaulted after being accused of paedophilia and homosexuality, while the man under the assault pleads with the alleged colleague to cease the attack.
In a response on Monday, the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church said the two individuals were lay brothers and not senior clergymen, while condemning the incident as “un-Christian” and “immoral”.
Orthodox priest Shalva Kekelia also responded to the incident by telling the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty he had been aware of the “different sexual orientation” of the victim and had warned him on multiple occasions to “take off his clerical uniform”, with no effect. Kekelia also claimed neither of the individuals in the video were clergymen.
A statement released by the interior ministry said its investigation was looking into the matter with potential charges of “persecution” and unlawful dissemination of information on private life through media.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has launched an investigation after video footage allegedly showing physical assault on a disabled person on Tbilisi Metro was broadcast on television on Monday.
Five clerics expelled from the Salkino Monastery by Metropolitan of Chkondidi, Stepane Kalaijishvili, in October of 2021 for ‘an attempted revolt against the Patriarchate’ and ‘the daily violation of monastic vows’, were detained by police today, the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) reports.
A Holy Synod meeting earlier today has ended with the decision to dismiss Chkondidi Metropolitan Petre from the post and request the release of convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze.
Police have arrested an Orthodox church member, identified only as V.G., for assaulting a lay brother in the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia said earlier today.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation against an individual who allegedly called for smashing the windows of the first floor of the Government Administration building located in central Tbilisi via social media on Tuesday.