Orthodox Official Condemns Police ‘Raid’ on Church

Bishop Zenon of Dmanisi, an influential Georgian Orthodox Church official, condemned police for carrying out, as he put it, unauthorized search operation in one of the churches located in Dmanisi district on July 2.

“Dozens of masked, armed policemen burst into the church shouting on [priests] to lie down, threatening to kill them if they move… They [policemen] searched the church citing that they were searching for criminal suspects, but of course they could find no one there. They had no relevant authorization, or warrant to carry out search. They have left without even apologizing,” Bishop Zenon told Imedi television.

But the Interior Ministry has denied that the police carried out a search operation the church.

“It was a building, which is under construction and there were only workers there, no priests. It was not a territory of the church,” Shota Khizanishvili, chief of the Interior Ministry’s administration, said.

But later the Interior Ministry has changed the position and admitted that the incident took place in the church.

“I have talked with Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, who apologized and promised that the incident will be investigated,” Bishop Zenon told Imedi television late on July 2.

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