The Georgian government has taken an important step toward ending impunity for religious violence by convicting a defrocked priest responsible for violent attacks against religious minorities from 1999 to 2003.
Yesterday, Basil Mkalavishvili was sentenced to six years in prison by the Vake Saburtalo District Court of Tbilisi. The charges included organizing violence against individuals and destruction of property. His deputy, Petre Ivanidze, received four years in prison, and one of his followers received one year. Four other followers received suspended prison sentences.
“One of the worst perpetrators of violence against religious minorities in Georgia has finally been brought to justice,” said Rachel Denber, acting executive director of the Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch. “We hope that this is just the beginning of a clear policy against tolerance of violence and discrimination on account of faith.”
Human Rights Watch researched many of the dozens of mob attacks that Mkalavishvili led against Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentacostalists, Baptists and other religious minorities in Georgia. The assailants broke up religious services, beat congregants, ransacked or looted homes and property, and destroyed religious literature. Police did not take adequate measures to stop the attacks and, at times, even participated in the attacks.
In 2001, the authorities finally decided to prosecute Mkalavishvili but did not take him into custody. As the trial proceeded, he continued to organize and participate in attacks. Human Rights Watch observed some of the proceedings, at which Mkalavishvili’s followers intimidated witnesses and trial monitors; the authorities did little to ensure their safety. Finally, in 2003 the court ordered that Mkalavishvili be held in pre-trial detention. However, his supporters initially prevented the authorities from carrying out the order, blocking police access to the ex-priest who took refuge in a church in Tbilisi. Mkalavishvili remained at large.
Prior to the November 2003 parliamentary elections, the number of attacks dramatically decreased, fueling speculation about how closely the government of Eduard Shevadnadze controlled the violence. In March, after the Rose Revolution and change in government, the authorities again attempted to detain Mkalavishvili. In a raid that was excessively violent, police arrested him and six of his supporters. He was held in pre-trial detention, and the trial began in August. Although there were some reports of Mkalavishvili's supporters intimidating witnesses from minority religions, security at the trial was considerably better than previously.
“Although the climate for religious freedom has improved significantly since the change in government, much remains to be done,” said Denber. “The government must be proactive in this area and prosecute those responsible for scores of other attacks against religious minorities since 1999.”
The Georgian authorities should also take steps to promote tolerance among religions and refrain from inflammatory rhetoric against “alien influences,” a term often understood to mean the non-traditional religious groups, Human Rights Watch said.
