According to reports, on March 12, an unidentified person (persons) burned Catholic literature and icons near a temple in the town of Vale.

A representative of the Public Defender met with the population of the town, as well as the leaders of local religious communities, and received detailed information from them. It is known that both Orthodox and Catholic Christians use the temple for worshiping.

Catholic Church Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto and Akhaltsikhe and Tao-Klarjeti Metropolitan Theodore Chuadze responded to the incident. They condemned the act of vandalism and talked about the necessity of an investigation.

Timely investigation of the case is important. As far as we are aware, an investigation is ongoing under Article 166 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to interference with the activities of a religious community. The Public Defender urges the law enforcement agencies to effectively conduct and timely complete the investigation and regularly inform the public of the progress of the investigation in order to ensure that all questions are answered.

Unfortunately, religious buildings have been attacked and insulted many times. Such facts particularly target minorities.

The Public Defender will not spare efforts to ensure that the principles of freedom of religion and tolerance are protected in Georgia.