Georgian Citizen Sues Archpriest Jagmaidze, Calling Him Terrorist

Georgian citizen Giorgi Okmelashvili has accused the Head of the Patriarchate’s Public Relations Service, Andria Jagmaidze, of terrorism, citing his recent statement that supports the gathering en masse in houses of worship this Easter, which, Okmelashvili notes, poses a threat to the welfare of the society as a whole. 

Okmelashvili sued Archpriest Jagmaidze in line with Article 132 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which envisages up to one year in prison for threatening peoples’ lives through "infecting them with particularly dangerous infectious diseases."

“I think the actions of priests like Jagmaidze undermine my effort to remain in isolation without seeing friends and parents, to abide by the law and to follow the rules that each member of society should follow. Their statements are unlawful, and the continuation of the services they advocate will do nothing but ignite the pandemic. So I decided to call the police and sue Jagmaidze for putting a threat on all of us”, Okmelashvili told reporters.

Okmelashvili is now awaiting a response from the Interior Ministry. He has called on other citizens to support him by doing the same, repeatedly calling Jagmaidze “a terrorist”.

By the joint decision of the Georgian government and the patriarchate, churches will remain open on Easter night, at a time when the country has virtually shut down to defeat a contagious disease. 

"We have decided that the parishioners should come to the church before the start of the curfew (9 PM) and leave the church at 6 AM in the morning after the Easter service,” Jagmaidze said in his statement.

By Elene Dzebisashvil

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