Press Release
Joint Press Statement of the Embassies of the United States of America and Great Britain
September 15, 2000
Tbilisi--On September 8, in Zugdidi, a meeting of the Jehovah’s Witnesses was disrupted, a large number of people were violently mistreated and others were impeded from access to the meeting. The Embassies of the United States of America and Great Britain are greatly disturbed by this and other recent serious infringements on those exercising their right of religious freedom in Georgia, including the mistreatments of members of the Baptist Church in August. The Georgian Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights guarantee an individual’s right to freely practice the religion of one’s choice. We call upon the Government of Georgia to investigate these incidents and to be vigilant in ensuring respect for the religious rights of all.