From: Bishop Ambrose
To: Saint Gregory Palamas Monastery
Bishop Auxentios
Sent: Friday, March 12, 2004 10:48 AM
This morning, at 7.30 local time, a large group of armed police entered the
Church of the Iveron Icon in Gldani, Tbilisi, Georgia, where a congregation
of around 500 parishioners had gathered for the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, and
having attacked and seriously injured a large number of persons, including
children, arrested the dean, Archpriest Vasili Mklavishvili , the priest
Gabriel Neimiridze and another eight people. It is unknown where they are
being held, and their safety is in great doubt. It is unquestionably the case
that this attack is the result of a request made last last week by a group of
American Senators demanding that the new Georgian government place under
arrest the "religious fanatics" who are impeding the missionary activities of
foreign sectarian groups in Georgia. The parish in Gldani has for the past
nine years been under the jurisdiction of His Eminence Metropolitan Cyprian
of Oropos and Fili. Those who know the conditions in Georgian penitenciaries
will realize that the survival of those under arrest (and those others who
will probably follow them into prison) is in great danger. We therefore
implore you to make a vehement protest to the Georgian Embassy in your
country, in order for the Georgian authorities to realise that their actions
are being observed internationally, and that any arbitrary injustice on their
part will not go unnoticed.
+ Ambrose, bishop of Methoni, assistant to his Eminence Metropolitan Cyprian of Oropos and Fili
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