Fereydani Georgians complained that over the past 5–6 months, the Public Service Development Agency, subordinated to the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, had been massively refusing them compatriot status and residence permits. Compatriot status is granted to Georgian citizens who have lived abroad for a long time, or to citizens of another country who are of Georgian origin, or whose native language belongs to the Georgian-Kartvelian language family. Typically, Fereydanis applied for a residence permit only after receiving compatriot status.

On October 30, 2023, dozens of Fereydani Georgians gathered in front of the House of Justice, demanding the issuance of compatriot status and residence permits. “No discrimination based on place of birth,” “We are also children of this country,” read the banners.

“There are only 200 of us here. We live peacefully. We are good and calm people in Iran as well. If I do something wrong, then you should arrest me. My heart aches, what else can I say?” Anton Ioseliani, who was born in Fereydan and grew up in Isfahan, told Radio Liberty.

Fereydanis are Georgians resettled to Iran’s Fereydan region, whose ancestors were forced to leave their homeland four centuries ago. In 1616, Shah Abbas relocated up to 200,000 Georgians to central Iran. Over the centuries, Fereydanis preserved the old Georgian language and still speaks Georgian today.

No one responded to the protest of the Fereydanis, and the Public Service Development Agency did not answer media questions.