The actions of the state agencies were grounded on the non-compliance with the requirements of the law during the building of the minaret which was done without the relevant permission.

The freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and the Government of Georgia will not allow restriction of this right. Therefore, state agencies are obliged to act with extreme caution while exercising their powers, especially when religious feelings of citizens are at stake.

In many cases use of minaret is a part of Islamic worship and as a rule it is located in the vicinity of the mosque.

According to the statement issued by the Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia yesterday, the incident which happened in village Chela is currently solved. Inspection of the Minaret structure has been completed. The Customs Service is following the procedures provided for by the law and the minaret has been returned to the owners.

Thus, the law has been observed, which is equally obligatory to all, including religious organizations. By the law of Georgia, religious constructions, much like any kind of construction, needs to be based on the relevant permission.

Hence, on behalf of the Government of Georgia, we would like to make the following statement:

Because we wish to help the local community to realize their religious rights, we urge the Muslim residents of village Chela to address the relevant bodies authorized by the law and acquire the legal right to erect the Minaret. At the same time, we would like to inform the society that the Government of Georgia is working actively on the development of the regulatory framework that will prescribe the norms for the building of constructions used for religious and worship purposes.

We rest assured that handling this sensitive issue in the legal domain will in future help prevent developments similar to those in village Chela.