State Minister Vows to Curb Religious Violence

(Tbilisi February 18, 2003. Civil Georgia) – At the meeting with the religious minorities held in Evangelical Baptist church in Tbilisi, Georgian State Minister Avtandil Jorbenadze ?in the name of President Shevardnadze apologized? for violent attacks against the religious minorities.

?We are concerned with the raids and attacks against the religious minorities and we are ready to cooperate with you,? Avtandil Jorbenadze said at the meeting on February 18.

Representatives of the human rights advocacy NGOs also participated in the meeting. They hailed the State Minister?s statement and expressed hope that the authorities? ?intention to curb religious violence will not be just fa?ade.?  

On January 24 group of excommunicated Orthodox priest Basil Mkalavishvili attacked an ecumenical service organized by the Baptist church and including clergy from the Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Georgian Orthodox, and Evangelical Baptist churches.

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