On November 25, 1998, Basil Mkalavishvili, a defrocked priest since 1995, organized a protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Mkalavishvili had repeatedly attempted to return to the Gldani Church, but the special police unit OMON, led by Temur Mgebrishvili, dispersed his gatherings with force. In response, Mkalavishvili’s group, which called itself the “Exiled Gldani Diocese,” launched violent attacks on religious minorities, particularly Jehovah’s Witnesses (referred to in the press at the time as Iegoveli), destroying their literature and staging campaigns against them.

Around 100 people gathered near the Rustaveli monument holding black banners with inscriptions such as: “The Orthodox Diocese of Gldani curses the satanic sect of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” “Let us oppose the blasphemers of the Holy Spirit – the Jehovah’s sect!” “Orthodoxy or Death,” and “Let us defend the Orthodox faith with holiness.” Their slogans even caught the attention of workers building the nearby McDonald’s restaurant.

Mkalavishvili argued that Jehovah’s Witnesses were expanding rapidly across Georgia, “flooding” certain regions. He called for building new Orthodox churches as a countermeasure and demanded that Parliament urgently adopt a law declaring Orthodox Christianity the state religion while banning all other denominations and sects. He even insisted that Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II be removed, claiming he had deviated from canon law.

The protesters marched from Rustaveli Monument to Parliament, ringing church bells to dramatize their demands. There, they met Konstantine Kokoev, chairman of the parliamentary committee on national minorities. The protesters gave Parliament three weeks to respond to their demands, but Kokoev reminded them that such matters could only be decided in consultation with the Patriarch.

Ultimately, Basil Mkalavishvili was arrested on March 12, 2004, after years in hiding. Security forces detained him along with nine followers in a dawn special operation after he re-emerged, announcing a “new stage” in the fight to defend Orthodoxy. His parishioners attempted to shield him throughout the night, but police stormed the gathering, injuring several people.

On January 31, 2005, Basil (Vasil) Mkalavishvili was sentenced to six years in prison.