Complaint against oppression of Muslims in Kobuleti filed to ECtHR

The Georgian authorities failed to protect the rights of religious minorities and did not help ensure the opening of a boarding house for Muslim students in Kobuleti, stated NGO "Centre for Human Rights Education and Monitoring".

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2014, in Adjara, residents of Kobuleti hung a pig's head on a building in which a Turkish citizen planned to open a madrasa. The Muslim community filed a complaint against discrimination. In July 2015, rallies against the activities of the Muslim boarding house were held in the city. In September 2016, three residents of Georgia were found guilty of discrimination against Muslims.

"The boarding school for Muslim students is still not open, and the Muslim communities suffer from constant persecution. The investigation into the possible inaction of the police has not been launched," said Tamar Samkharadze, a lawyer from the NGO "Centre for Human Rights Education and Monitoring", on the air of the "Rustavi-2" TV Channel.

The lawyer noted that because of the above problem, the NGO had to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

On its website, the NGO notes that since 2014, in Kobuleti, the population has been protesting against the opening of the Muslim boarding house, but the authorities have not made enough efforts to resolve the conflict.