Initiatives to protect Georgia's national values ​​have drawn criticism from the opposition.

An initiative group to protect "national values" has been created in Georgia, initiated by cultural figures. This is the second such initiative in recent days. The opposition believes such initiatives threaten a wave of violence.

As reported by Caucasian Knot, the imam of a local mosque in Akhaltsikhe, a Meskhetian Turk, Shevket Dvalidze, was beaten in the courtyard of his father's home. He claims the police insisted he withdraw his complaint about the assault. The conflict was caused by the language and religious affiliation of the victims, human rights activists indicated.

At a press conference on Thursday, cultural figures – actor Giorgi Shanidze, director Giorgi Sikharulidze, and director of the Batumi Drama Theater Kote Mzhavia – announced the creation of a platform that will prepare legislative initiatives to protect the church, shrines, historical heroes, and other "fundamental values" of the country, Pirveli TV reports.

Freedom of expression for everyone is a vital value, but this right cannot be turned into a tool for insulting those shrines and fundamental values ​​that form the historical, cultural, and spiritual foundation of the country.

According to the organizers, the future law should be a response to the actions of "destructive and externally financed groups." which, they believe, are deliberately provoking social division. If left unchecked, the initiative's authors warn, the current provocations could escalate into a large-scale civil confrontation.

"Freedom of expression for every individual is a vital value, but this right cannot be turned into a tool for insulting the sacred and fundamental values ​​that form the historical, cultural, and spiritual foundation of the country. This trend poses a threat to social harmony, national unity, and civil peace," the initiative's authors stated.

According to their statement, to prevent the situation from further escalating and reaching a point where even the wise Georgian people could lose patience, it is necessary to take responsible steps and resolve the existing problems through legal, peaceful means.

According to the new initiative group, this initiative is analogous to British legislation, which makes insulting the royal family a criminal offense. According to them, they plan to involve lawyers, historians, and representatives of the arts and sports in the drafting of the bill, after which the document will be submitted to parliament.

This is the second such initiative in recent days.

On July 28, government supporter and MMA fighter Giorgi Kartvelishvili announced the creation of the "National Generation" movement. The organization declared its goal to protect national identity and combat "pseudo-liberal ideology," according to Newsgeorgia.

Kartvelishvili accused "grant-funded, destructive activists and the media" of targeted attacks on Georgian traditions and declared his readiness to take extreme measures.

"We will not retreat from any danger. We are ready to answer for every action and, if necessary, even go to prison for the defense of our culture and identity," Kartvelishvili said at a press conference.

These statements about the need to protect "national values" began after the high-profile attack on stand-up comedian and activist Onise Okriashvili. This is the first known case in modern Georgia of a creative professional being physically assaulted for a joke. The attack was prompted by a reference to the classic Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze, using obscene language.

The attacker, Nikoloz Khurtsilava, later voluntarily turned himself in to the police and stated that he had acted in defense of national values. He is currently free on bail of 5,000 lari (approximately $1,800) pending the investigation.

The emergence of such initiatives has sparked a heated political debate.

One of the leaders of the Akhali party, Nika Gvaramia, called the new movements "inspiration for mass violence and revenge under the guise of pseudo-morality." Opposition media characterized the events as an attempt to "institutionalize titushki."

This fits perfectly with Russia's long-standing strategy of destabilizing the country—that's how Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, assessed the creation of platforms for "protecting Georgian values ​​and traditions."

"This is a strategy to destabilize the country, which fits perfectly with Russia's long-standing strategy of weakening and dividing society. Very old tools are being used. This must be taken seriously. Such actions should in no way provoke a backlash: let's find some muscle and start creating similar groups and confront each other. The ultimate goal of such groups is their emergence and subsequent growth on both sides. We know how Russia operates, so we must not allow this," Zurabishvili said.

According to the firm conviction of Sevdia, a member of the National Movement party Ugrekhelidze, there is a threat of a new wave of violence in the country, and both investigative bodies and the Patriarchate must respond to these initiatives.

I appeal to Patriarch Shio: does our church really need protection? Don't you have enough influence and authority to defend our faith without using your fists?

According to Ugrekhelidze, an attempt is being made to create an informal group similar to the "Guardian Corps," and this, in her opinion, is unconstitutional. She believes that if the initiative in question was not initiated by the ruling party, law enforcement officials should question Giorgi Kartvelishvili and explain the nature of his activities to the public.

"I appeal to Patriarch Shio: does our church really need protection? Don't you have enough influence and authority to defend our faith without using your fists? I think the Patriarchate should also respond and call for condemnation of these actions, unless the authorities are deliberately preparing them for violent action," Ugrekhelidze stated.

The Georgian Dream party praised the idea of ​​protecting national values, but emphasized that any such initiatives must be implemented strictly within the law.

The Georgian Orthodox Church also distanced itself from radical rhetoric. Archpriest Andria Jagmaidze, head of the Patriarchate's public relations service, stated that the church does not support violence. According to him, people must respect each other's values ​​and sacred things, but the protection of these values ​​cannot serve as a justification for aggression or violation of the law.