Media to blame for violence against the nun - Patriarchate of Georgia press service
Attack on nunnery and the media
Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the press service of the Georgian Orthodox Church, reacted to the attack upon a nun of a convent in the village of Tskhramukha in the Shida Kartli region, stating that “the media’s ongoing anti-religious campaign” is having an effect in society.
According to Jagmaidze, what happened in the Tskhramukhi monastery “revives the most difficult memories from the history of the church.” It is difficult to call unheard-of case anything but a national tragedy, Jagmaidze said.
On November 26, two people were arrested on charges of robbery and rape of a 70-year-old woman in a convent in the village of Tskhramukhi, which belongs to the Surami-Khashuri diocese, as reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to Interpressnews, two people broke into the convent. The abbess and nuns resisted, but were physically attacked. A nun who sustained multiple injuries was taken to the hospital.
The investigation falls under Part 2 of Art. 179 of the Criminal Code of Georgia and Part 3 of Art. 137 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. According to the agency, the crime is punishable by up to thirteen years in prison.
“Looking at all this, what can be going on in the heads of criminals? If they see that it is permissible to accuse the Church of pursuing Russian policy, if they see that it is permissible for a journalist in the courtyard of Svetitskhoveli to call clergymen “bandits” (TV “Pirveli”), if it is permissible to disrupt the service (by a journalist from “Mtavari Arkhi”) in Martvili Church and declare the Patriarch an enemy of the country, what else will a criminal find acceptable? Exactly what happened in the monastery in Khashuri.”
According to Jagmaidze, the destruction of family traditions arises from attempts to humiliate the Christian Church in Georgia, which manifests itself in a large number of family conflicts.
“A picture is being prepared before our eyes of what happened during the most difficult stages of the persecution of the Church,” Jagmaidze notes.
Attack on nunnery and the media
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Outrage of journalists and human rights activists
“The media accusation of the rape of a nun is based on such unbridled lies, it falsifies reality to such an extent, it is such a shameless speculation that “it will be difficult to understand who in the end so recklessly used the tragedy for their own interests,” Levan Sutidze, editor of the Tabula magazine, says.
“The publication of a letter after July 5 [mass violence against journalists in Tbilisi], where not a single phrase is true, testifies only to one thing, that the church turns all the facts upside down and is ready to blame anyone who does not love it or gets on its nerves,” Sutidze went on.
Philosopher Levan Gambashidze calls Patriarchate spokesman Andria Jagmaidze a representative of “thugs and robbers, an agent of Russia and devoid of morals” and writes on his Facebook:
“The nun was raped, and this [man] who planned and carried out on July 5 one of the most incredible public executions in recent Georgian history, along with the Russian KGB, says that the opposition media is to blame! You are sick, father.“
On July 5, 2021, the March of Dignity was to be held in Tbilisi as part of Tbilisi Pride Week. However, the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church called on its supporters to take to the streets and defend the country from the “perverted way of life.” Homophobic groups vandalized opposition tents that had stood in front of parliament for months before attacking journalists covering the events. About 55 media representatives were injured. One of them, cameraman Lexo Lashkarava, died three days later.
The priests openly called on the audience to violence. “You are obliged to use violence for the sake of the Motherland,” Archpriest Spiridon told the audience.
“They are covering for criminals! They have turned the Georgian Church into a pack of murderers, thugs, robbers and rapists!” women’s rights activist Ida Bakhturidze intones.
Bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia and women’s rights activist Rusudan Gotsiridze also reacted on Facebook:
“There was violence against women which has never happened in Georgia. The rapists attacked the nuns! […] I envy those who remain calm, knowing of this monstrous story. P.S. Over the past seven years, 187 women have died as a result of gender-based violence in Georgia, and almost half of them were killed by family members.”
Mtavari Arkhi journalist Beka Korshia:
“Today’s statement by Deacon Andria Jagmaidze that the brutal violence against the nun is the result of opposition media propaganda is extremely dangerous and disturbing. The Church is giving the green light to a repeat of what happened on July 5th. No one but Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia has such an embittered clerical elite.”
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, says Jagmaidze, as the “voice of the patriarchy,” has always been a conduit for the violence and mafia interests thereof.
“What will they say next time and how will they use this disaster to their advantage and what will be their goal? For these people there is no God, no faith, no sympathy, no responsibility, and nothing national.
In a word, the sooner he gets carried away and reveals even more truth about these people, the sooner this evil will weaken and, perhaps, curb their behavior.“
Attack on nunnery and the media
