For Immediate Release
January 30, 2003

Violent religious intolerance remains unchecked in Georgia

TBILISI, Georgia—Yesterday, on the eve of a Supreme Court hearing of a case he filed, Giorgi Meparishvili, who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses and a previous victim of religiously motivated violence, was confronted and then chased by two unidentified men armed with handguns. Meparishvili fled, making his way to the roof of a five-story apartment building. Attempting to escape his pursuers, he jumped, aiming to land in a tree near the building. The tree broke his fall, but he was still seriously injured. He is now in the hospital and has regained consciousness. The extent of his injuries has yet to be determined.

Today, yet another attack by religious extremists was carried out against a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses peacefully meeting together in the city of Rustavi. Victims identified the attackers as Paata Bluashvili and other members of the ultra-Orthodox extremist organization "Jvari." Bluashvili is known to have publicly boasted on national television that he carries out such attacks. Despite numerous promises from the government of Georgia to curb such violence, even the simplest step of detaining Bluashvili has not been undertaken.

Over the last three years, nearly 800 criminal complaints have been filed with the Prosecutor's office against known religious extremists who have carried out violent attacks against Jehovah's Witnesses. To date, not one of these individuals has been arrested or convicted for these criminal acts.

Telephone: +(995) (32) 76 2359 Facsimile +(995) (32) 76 9598
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Video footage of mob attacks, photographs of injuries and acts of arson available to the media upon request