Address of Human Rights Center about Religious Escalation in Adigeni Village

Human Rights Center is alarmed with the escalation of religious controversy in the village of Adigeni in Samtskhe-Javakheti region and calls on the government to take immediate measures to investigate the hate-motivated crimes.

Human Rights Center affirms that Adigeni village is a site of religious controversy. Unfortunately, aggression of local citizens influenced by the sermon of local clergies feed this controversy. They claim the Muslims shall not have a mosque in the village. As for the historical mosque located in the center of the village, local Orthodox people insist it should be transformed into a church because, as they say, in the past it was constructed with church stones. Inhabitants of other villages, where historical mosques seized from Muslims during the Soviet time, also share this pathos.

It is astonishing that Muslim families in Adigeni village are not allowed to bury their deceased family members in the same village. The Muslims had encountered this problem several times but local state institutions do not respond to it.

Human Rights Center does not agree with the opinion  claiming that it is impossible to restore the historical mosque in Adigeni village, which was constructed in 1885.

With the advocacy of Human Rights Center, on February 8, this year, based on the order of the Director General of the National Agency for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage the Adigeni village mosque received status of the cultural heritage. Specialist of the cultural heritage said it is possible to fully restore-rehabilitate the historical mosque as well as its conservation.

Human Rights Center calls on the Government:

To take real measures to combat religious controversy through investigating the hate-motivated crimes and punishment of perpetrators;

To appoint the public servants in regional and district state institutions, who adequately assess threats, promote establishment of equality and tolerance principles, will work on the eradication of increasing hate and defend constitutional rights of religious minorities;

To restore and rehabilitate historical mosques with the status of cultural heritage in Samtskhe-Javakheti, that will be the best guarantee for their preservation.

Human Rights Center 

 See the Reports of Human Rights Center on related topic:

1. Freedom of Religion in Georgia – Problems and Recommendations 

2. State of the Cultural Heritage of Religious Minorities in Georgia