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World News

'Blasphemy bill' suggested in Georgia

by Hannah Tooley

However it has been criticised for limiting freedom of speech in the predominantly Orthodox Christian country.

It has been reported that the bill could make talk of religion, thought to be disrespectful, punishable by law.

The Guardian has said the bill has the potential to be used against organisations that do not agree with the Church's stance on topics, and the legislation has already been approved at the committee stage.

Around 83% percent of Georgians are Orthodox Christians and in 2013 Patriarch Ilia II was ranked as the country's most trusted public figure.

The Georgian Orthodox church holds a privileged position due to its constitutional pact with the state, however authorities have insisted that the church is not behind the proposed bill.

The proposed law would impose a fine of around £90 for those that insult "religious feelings", and the fine would double if someone re-offended.

Vandalising religious symbols would impose a larger fine.

Rusudan Gotsiridze, a Evangelical Baptist minister, said: "This law is not going to protect anyone; at least not the minorities, and will be a powerful tool against freedom of speech."

The country has suffered from religious tensions and a some Georgian Orthodox congregations have openly opposed mosques and madrassas opening in the country.

Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili, from the Georgian ombudsman's office, has little confidence in the law: "The current wording proposes the 'insult of religious feelings' as the sole criterion for limiting freedom of expression, which subjects one individual to another's will and places the believers in a privileged position."

The law is likely to pass, with the ruling Georgian Dream Coalition endorsing the document last week at a human rights committee.

It is yet to be debated, however.

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