Address by Human Rights House Tbilisi about Recent Developments in Mokhe Village

On October 23, mobile group of human rights defenders from Human Rights House Tbilisi (HRHT) paid visit to the Mokhe village in Adigeni municipality to study situation on the place. The organization is concerned about the controversy between local Muslims and Orthodox people and calls on the government to reach compromise between conflicting parties and resolve the tense situation.

Muslim population of Mokhe village in Adigeni municipality requests to assign a building to the Muslim Department. They claim Mosque was functioning in the building before 1944. Orthodox population of the village claims the mosque has never been functioning in the building and it was club during soviet time too; the building was function-less for the past ten years.

The controversy started after local administration decided to rehabilitate the building and open culture center there. Muslims say opening culture center in the former mosque building insults their religion. On October 22 they did not allow the company, which won the bid competition, to start reconstruction of the building. 14 people were arrested during the protest rally. Muslims told the HRHT mobile group members that police officers insulted and scolded them. Furthermore, the police officers exceeded their power during detention and about 15 persons were injured. Currently, all detainees are free and injured people feel well.

Public Defender’s Office also studied situation on the place. According to the PDO, words of local Muslims confirm that, on October 22 workers of patrol police used excessive force against participants of a peaceful rally. While protocols of external examinations drawn up in temporary detention isolators affirm that marks of various kinds were noted on bodies of detained persons.

http://ombudsman.ge/en/news/developments-in-the-village-of-mokhe-require-adequate-response-from-the-authorities.page

At the moment, law enforcement officers of Samtskhe-Javakheti regional department of MIA guard the building. Rehabilitation works are underway and the signboard on the building says a new library will be opened in the building soon.

Muslims, who make 80% of Mokhe population, categorically oppose opening of either library or culture center in the building; they believe mosque was functioning there decades before and request to restore its old status. They petitioned to the government with the request first in 1990s but in vain.

Orthodox population of the village also opposes the demand of Muslim neighbors. Since there is no culture center for local youth in the village, Orthodox villagers welcome the initiative of the Adigeni municipal board to rehabilitate the building and to open a library in it.

Interim director of the village public school Temur Beridze said educational process was hindered in the school due to ongoing developments. Local Muslims did not send their children to school in protest; Orthodox neighbors are discontent with the fact either.

Ethnic Georgian people with different religions, who resettled there from Adjara, have always lived in peace together. There has never been controversy between them until now.

Human Rights House Tbilisi and its member organizations call on the government to take effective measures to provide local population with correct and adequate information and to reach compromise through the engagement of local population. 

HRHT calls on the MIA to investigate alleged facts of exceeded power by police officers during the detention of rally participants on October 22. 

Member organizations of HRHT

Human Rights Center

Article 42 of the Constitution

Media Institute

Human Rights and Conflict Studies- Caucasia