On 28 October, Archbishop Iakob, who was one of the most influential figures in the Georgian Patriarchate, quit the position of Patriarch Ilia II’s assistant and the chief of the Economic and Financial Council of the Patriarchate amid political turmoil around him, reported agenda.ge.
He told TV Pirveli that former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, ex-head of the Georgian State Security Service and current Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and former Interior Minister and current Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia asked him for help “to make Patriarch Ilia II resign.”
He stated that a meeting regarding the issue took place at the Georgian government’s administration building during Kvirikashvili’s premiership. Jacob said that the President and founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili was “interested in Ilia II’s resignation and making Shio Mujiri [the current interim patriarch] a new patriarch.” The archbishop also said that former Prosecutor Generals Irakli Shotadze and Otar Partskhaladze “were extorting money from me and Kvirikashvili knew that,” without providing additional details. He also added that the high-profile cyanide case, in which cleric Giorgi Mamaladze was sentenced to nine years in prison, aimed the murder of Ilia II and “clerics and officials were involved in it”.
The Cyanide Case is one of the most mysterious and scandalous criminal cases in the recent Georgian history. The main figure involved is clergyman Archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze. Mamaladze has served two of the nine year court sentence for preparing to murder Shorena Tetruashvili, the secretary-referent of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia. Mamaladze was arrested in February 2017 at Tbilisi International Airport, on his wat to Germany. At the time, Patriarch Ilia II was undergoing treatment in Munich, and was accompanied by his entourage, including Shoren Tetruashvili. According to the investigation, a powerful poison – sodium cyanide was found in Mamaladze’s baggage, and a pistol and cartridges were found in his house. Initially it was announced that Mamaladze was going to poison the patriarch, but later the statement was changed, and investigators claimed that Shorena Tetruashvili was the intended victim.
Kvirikashvili stated that he has never done anything against Ilia II and Roman Gotsiridze from the United National Movement (UNM) urged for an investigation regarding the statements.
On 31 October, following Iakob’s statements the Holy Synod of the Georgian Orthodox Church seated and came with the decisions to dismiss Chkondidi Metropolitan Petre Tsaava from the post and requested the release of convicted archpriest Giorgi Mamaladze. Archbishop Nikoloz said that Petre lied when he said he was dismissed by the patriarch. “This is very regrettable. He said another lie that the patriarch dismissed him. Petre was dismissed by the Holy Synod. Unfortunately, we were left with no other options. Petre Tsaava behaved so indecently that we were compelled to pull him out of Holy Synod sitting forcibly,” he said.
Tsaava said after his dismissal that it was an unfair decision. “Regarding my attitude, and for those of you wondering about the punishment, I would say that if today's session of the Synod has turned into a Pilate court, anything is possible,” he said referring to the cruelties conducted by the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius.
The Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II said that he never intended to punish anyone. “We should not give the public reason to be obstructed towards the faith and the Church. Today, we are gathered here not to punish anyone, but to help one another. We should not make each other’s burden heavier. I have never thought of punishing anyone. I always think only of your help,” the Patriarch said.
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia also took a position on the Georgian Church’s latest developments. He stated that “such unbelievable assaults towards the Patriarch of Georgia, the spiritual symbol of the country, are attacks against the country, our statehood and church”. “People, who fail to restrain their ego put our present and future existence under a huge risk. It is absolutely unacceptable, and I am convinced that each citizen of our country will stand by the side of our Patriarch today. We will of course overcome this, withstand it and come out of it much stronger through prayers of our Patriarch,” Gakahria said.
The US Embassy in Georgia also commented on these developments. “The United States appreciates the central and very important role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the Georgian community, which has been historic. I don't want to make a specific comment on a legal issue,” said Acting-Ambassador of the United States to Georgia Elizabeth Rood. She was also asked to comment about the possibility of Russian influence in the Georgian Orthodox Church growing, the Ambassador stated that the United States understands that Georgia is facing the damaging Russian influence.
