On November 5, 2012, representatives of several non-governmental organizations protested in front of the Ministry of Justice holding banners reading “Stop Religious Violence,” “Freedom of Belief Is a Human Right,” and “Love Thy Neighbor.” The protesters condemned both the religiously motivated confrontation that had taken place a few days earlier in Nigvziani, a village in the Lanchkhuti district, and the government’s inaction in response.

The incident occurred on November 2, 2012, when local Orthodox Christians prevented local Muslim residents from praying in a private home. Although the Orthodox villagers insisted they were not denying anyone the right to worship, they also declared that they would not allow group prayers or the construction of a mosque “on their historic land.” The confrontation became heated, involving verbal and physical altercations.

Around 15 representatives of the NGOs “House of Tolerance” and “School of Rights” demanded that the state immediately intervene to calm the situation and hold those responsible accountable, accusing law enforcement of passivity.

Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani invited the protesters inside the ministry to discuss the issue. During the meeting, she explained that the new government did not intend to act like the previous administration, arguing that the police’s decision not to intervene immediately should not be seen as inaction. According to Tsulukiani, whereas the previous government would have used force, the new one preferred to let the religious groups themselves negotiate first.

Human Rights Committee Chair Eka Beselia was tasked with facilitating dialogue between the sides. After an initial meeting at the Patriarchate in Tbilisi, the parties gathered on November 5 at the Parliament building in Kutaisi. Beselia argued that the problem in Nigvziani was mainly due to a lack of information and that the situation had been resolved through communication.

She stated that Muslim residents of Nigvziani would now be able to exercise their constitutional right to worship freely. However, then-opposition MP from the United National Movement, Chiora Taktakishvili, criticized the committee’s approach as insufficient, warning that without punishment for those responsible, similar incidents could recur.

Although Muslims were later able to pray without interference, this was largely because police warned locals not to obstruct access to the prayer site. As noted by Tariel Nakaiidze of the Georgian Muslim Union, this made the prayer possible — but without ensuring long-term peace. The publication Tabula wrote on December 5, 2012, that while the immediate tension subsided, local attitudes remained hostile, and the risk of renewed conflict persisted.