On July 19, 2014, a pre-planned attack, motivated by ethnic and religious hatred, was perpetrated on representatives of the Armenian Church of Surb Etchmiadzin in Tbilisi.

At around 4 pm, a provocation was organized adjacent to the yard of the Church. After an unsuccessful attempt to drive from a spot adjacent to the yard of the Church, a person got outraged and began to reproach a clergyman whose car was allegedly blocking her way.

Soon afterwards, two openly aggressive men arrived on the scene and helped to take out the vehicle. The clergyman entered the administrative building of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, while young deacons, who stood outside, heard the men using foul language against Armenians. When people began to protest this move, the man got off the vehicle, took a truncheon, continued to use obscene language, picked up a stone, and attempted to hit the representatives of the Armenian Diocese. When the personnel of the Armenian Diocese heard these voices, they rushed outside hoping to calm down the situation. At this time, one of the employees of the Diocese was hit in the back, and a short fight ensued.

About two hours later following this incident, the above-mentioned man mobilized a group of about 50 males, some equipped with arms.These men approached the Church and began to fight with the clergy and the personnel of the Diocese, using obscene language against Armenians. At the time a baptism was being held at the church. Hearing the screams, the ceremony participants ran outside and were also set upon. Terrified, the women and children sought shelter in the Church.

Of note is that the entire incident  was being observed by a group of men well dressed and driving expensive cars.

Clergymen and the personnel of the Armenian Diocese sustained injuries, and the attackers ripped the chest cross from an Armenian priest.

We urge Georgian law enforcement authorities to categorize these actions and investigate them as a crime committed based on ethnic and religious hatred.

To a certain degree, this incident is a result of an anti-Armenian campaign pursued by some in the Georgian media and sadly, by some representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church. We call on the media to refrain from spreading anti-Armenian sentiments in society. We call on the Supreme Hierarchs of the Georgian Orthodox Church to publicly condemn any actions motivated by the ethnic and religious hatred and to preach the Christian kindness and love.

We cherish the internal stability of Georgia and centuries-old inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations in the country and urge the Georgian Authorities to take all appropriate measures to prevent a schism in the Georgian society, based on ethnic and religious grounds. 

Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church in Georgia