Attack on Armenian Clergymen in Georgia on Grounds of Ethnic Hatred?

The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Georgia insists that the attack on clergymen at the Armenian Holy Echmiadzin Church in Tbilisi at around 5 pm on July 19 was committed on grounds of ‘ethnic and religious hatred’; meanwhile, Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs claims there were no ethnic motives behind the incident. 

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Georgian Diocese said that in the afternoon of July 19 a Georgian woman had parked her car near the church gates and was unable to get out, as other cars were blocking her exit. 

"An Armenian clergyman and Diocese employees offered to help. But the woman refused [their assistance] and called her close friends, who came to the church yard and helped her get her car out, simultaneously hurling curses of an ethnic nature at the Armenian clergyman and Primacy officials. A few of the church employees approached to call them to order, but the aforementioned continued their hooligan behavior and even attacked a church official, which caused the brawl. Around evening, the same group, gathering about 50 people, attacked Priest Ter-Manuk Zeinalian, Diocese's Department of Legal Affairs and Cooperation Director Levon Isakhanyan, and Assistant Manager Robert Isakhanyan, who were standing outside the church, and violently beat them, causing bodily injuries to the clergymen and the Diocese employees. The attackers yanked the cross of one of the clergymen and took it with them…

"…Prior to the police approaching, Director of the Diocese's Administration Karen Yeritsyan fired a few shots in the air with the gun lawfully belonging to him and calmed the fighters. Witnesses describe how full of hatred toward Armenians the attacking crowd was. Some of them were under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Witnesses testify that leading the 50-strong crowd that attacked the church were well-dressed men with expensive cars. All this is a result of hatred inseminated in many churches in Georgia and sometimes also in the media toward the Armenian Church and Armenians in general," reads the statement. 

Meanwhile, the Mother See of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Echmiadzin issued a separate statement on Monday, reports RFE/RL's Armenian service, insisting that the actions of the men who attacked the Armenian church in Tbilisi “incited ethnic hatred and religious intolerance”.

A representative of Georgia's Interior Ministry, however, in conversation with Novosti Gruzia ("News Georgia"), claimed that the incident did not occur on ethnic grounds. 

Georgian law enforcement officials in their statement noted that the argument and brawl occurred in the street, over the parking issue, and a criminal case was launched on grounds of Criminal Code Article 125 — battery.

Photo Credit: News Georgia