NGO calls on to apply tougher article to incident in Kobuleti medrese

When the police had classified the incident with a pig's head nailed to a door of a medrese in Kobuleti as a "destruction of property", it was not correct. The criminal case is to be instituted on the fact of harassment on grounds of religion. This was stated by the "Centre for Training and Monitoring of Human Rights".

On September 10, in Kobuleti, a pig's head was hung on the building, where a citizen of Turkey was planning to open a medrese. Thus, local residents used that way to protest against opening of an Islamic institution. The police instituted a criminal case on the fact of the incident under article of threat of destruction of property.

Article 151 of the Criminal Code of Georgia "Threat of causing death or bodily harm or destruction of property" stipulates a penalty in the form of fine or community service for a period from one hundred and twenty up to one hundred and eighty hours, or corrective labour for a period of up to one year, or arrest for a period of up to three months.

In its appeal, the NGO states that the police should institute a criminal case under Article 156 "Harassment of a person in connection with exercising of freedom of speech, opinion, conscience, religion, opinion or thought". The Article stipulates a penalty in the form of fine or restriction or deprivation of liberty for a period of up to two years.

It should be noted that earlier, the incident has been condemned by representatives of the clergy, the Ombudsman's Office and the Georgian authorities.