Blasphemy bill withdrawn in Georgia

February 17, 2016

A lawmaker in the Caucasus nation of Georgia has withdrawn his proposal to ban “insults to religious feelings,” the New York-based EurasiaNet news service reported.

The bill, which was criticized by the nation’s leading Baptist and by human rights organizations, was intended to shield the Georgian Orthodox Church from criticism, according to Amnesty International.

The Georgian Orthodox Church is the official religion of the nation of 3.7 million, which is 84% Orthodox, 10% Muslim, and 2% Catholic.

 

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Further information:

• Georgia Scraps "Blasphemy Bill" (EurasiaNet)
• Georgia proposes 'blasphemy bill' to outlaw religious insults (The Guardian)
• Georgia: Draft legislation on “insulting religious feelings” will undermine freedom of expression (Amnesty International)