Prepared by Messenger Staff
Patriarch Removes Outspoken Cleric Dorote Kurashvili from Position
Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili, a Georgian Orthodox cleric known for his outspoken criticism of both the ruling Georgian Dream party and the Church hierarchy, has been dismissed from his post as head priest of the Lower Betlemi Savior's Nativity Church. The decision, issued by Patriarch Ilia II under Order No. 84, follows a diocesan commission's findings of "disciplinary violations."
The Patriarch's decree reassigns Kurashvili to serve as a clergyman at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi. The order came shortly after the Mtskheta-Tbilisi diocesan commission accused the archimandrite of repeated noncompliance with summonses and of actions "defamatory and inappropriate for a priest."
The commission included several senior clerics, among them Patriarchal Locum Tenens Shio Mujiri, Patriarchate Spokesperson Andria Jagmaidze, and the Patriarch's Secretary Mikael Botkoveli. In its report, the body noted that Kurashvili had twice refused to appear before it, most recently on October 29, after demanding that the session be open to the media. The commission rejected the request, calling it "unprecedented and unacceptable."
Kurashvili, who has long been a vocal critic of both the Church leadership and the government, claimed that political motives were behind the move. "Today, I am being judged by the Russian Church and Bidzina Ivanishvili. This is their order," he told reporters while the proceedings were underway, referring to the Georgian Dream founder and billionaire.
The archimandrite has regularly denounced what he describes as "systemic injustice" and repression under the current government. He has frequently taken part in pro-European and anti-government rallies, criticizing Church authorities for what he sees as their political subservience.
The Patriarchate has not issued any further comment since the order was made public.
Court Orders Philosopher Levan Ghambashidze to Pay MP Nino Tsilosani in Defamation Case
The Tbilisi City Court has ruled in favor of Georgian Dream MP Nino Tsilosani in a defamation lawsuit against philosopher Levan Ghambashidze, ordering him to pay GEL 10,000 in compensation. The case centered on Ghambashidze's corruption allegations against Tsilosani's family.
The dispute began in February, when Ghambashidze wrote on social media that members of Tsilosani's family had "stolen GEL 65 million from the state budget." Tsilosani denied the accusation and demanded a retraction, warning that the matter would otherwise be settled in court. In May, Ghambashidze announced that the MP had filed a defamation suit seeking the same amount the court has now awarded.
After the ruling, Tsilosani, who also serves as a deputy speaker of parliament, welcomed the court's decision. "Levan Ghambashidze lied in the information spread against my family, which was also confirmed by the court's decision," she wrote on Facebook. "By fully satisfying my claim, the court once again reinforced the hope that no disinformation or false accusation will go unanswered."
Tsilosani added that she plans to donate the compensation to "those who need it most," describing it as a "morally right step." She also urged Ghambashidze to focus his work on "more noble and righteous goals."
Ghambashidze, however, disputed her characterization of the ruling. "It is a lie that the court confirmed I had lied," he said in a Facebook post. "If the court confirmed anything at all, it is that it cannot make decisions independent from the Georgian Dream government."
