The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the complex relationship between politics and religious freedom in Georgia. Providing a continuous thirty-year perspective, it traces developments since the collapse of the Soviet Union.  The report assesses judicial reforms related to protecting the freedom of religion or belief, evaluates the state's response to crimes motivated by religious intolerance and violent extremism, and reviews how the government has acted over different periods. Moreover, a separate chapter addresses the ownership rights of religious associations, highlighting systemic discrimination issues in Georgia. Additionally, the current state of religious freedom in the general education system is examined. The report concludes with a review of key European Court of Human Rights decisions on freedom of religion or belief.

The authors of the report are Beka Mindiashvili (Politics and Freedom of Religion), Tatuli Todua (Legal Reforms and Legislation, The State’s Response to Crimes Committed on the Grounds of Religious Intolerance, Decisions of the European Court of Human Rights on the cases of religious freedom) and Mariam Gavtadze (Ownership and Property of Religious Communities, The Impact of Religion on Public Education).

The publication was prepared by Tolerance Centre, under the auspices of the Public Defender of Georgia, within the Program “USAID Unity Through Diversity,” implemented by the UNA Georgia with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the USAID and UNA Georgia.