Parliament Speaker urges Ombudsman to react to alleged “anti-church” stance of tolerance centre head

Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday raised concerns over the leadership of the Center of Tolerance, emphasizing the need for the Public Defender to address the situation.

Papuashvili expressed dismay at what he described as “unheard of” events, where “millions of believers” were told they would celebrate the “Russian holiday” on January 7. He highlighted that this assertion was not only made by opposition figures but also by Beka Mindiashvili, the head of the Center for Tolerance under the Public Defender.

The controversy stems from Mindiashvili’s public remarks, as Papuashvili outlined, stating that celebrating Christmas on January 7 wad considered “anti-Western nonsense, a cowardly act, and a sham.” Papuashvili directly appealed to Public Defender Levan Ioseliani , raising questions about the credibility of an institution promoting tolerance while being led by an individual with a track record of “hostile rhetoric” towards the Georgian Church, including the Patriarch.”We have a parliamentary ombudsman system, and it is crucial for us, as the Parliament, that the Public Defender’s Institute of Georgia remains free from any shadows,” Papuashvili stated, urging an appropriate response from the Public Defender to address the controversy.

The Chairman also pointed out that the recent hysteria surrounding an icon of St Matrona of Moscow featuring the Soviet Dictator Joseph Stalin and the date of Christmas led to a “disturbing incident”, marking the first time in the history of independent Georgia that a person “dared to desecrate an icon in a church”.