Georgian PM: entire radical opposition was involved in campaigns against Patriarch

Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday said that the entire radical opposition had been involved - directly or indirectly - in campaigns against the Patriarch, adding that their subsequent expressions of regret over not attending the funeral at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi constitute “sheer hypocrisy”.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze noted that despite the complexity of organising the funeral, the government had acted in line with a request from the Patriarchate to ensure that a civil memorial service was held, with no political segregation of attendees.

He highlighted that representatives of both the authorities and the opposition were present at the Sameba Cathedral.

“Regarding the list of attendees, those present included official government representatives, predominantly clergy, guests - including international visitors - members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of the public. At the same time, both the ruling party and the opposition were represented. Among them, the party of Giorgi Gakharia was invited. Naturally, there was no political segregation of members of the public”, Kobakhidze stated.

The PM further emphasised that, despite the logistical challenges, the authorities ensured that the cathedral remained open to all citizens on the day of the funeral.

“On the day of the funeral, we did everything possible - also at the request of the Patriarchate - to organise a civil memorial service. This meant that any individual had the opportunity to enter the Sameba Cathedral and pay their respects to the Patriarch. There was a continuous flow of people throughout the day. Accordingly, anyone who wished to attend, regardless of who they were, had the opportunity to do so”, he added.

The prime minister further addressed the issue of inviting specific individuals who currently hold no official status, stating that neither formal nor moral criteria justified their inclusion.

“Regarding the special invitation of certain individuals - primarily opposition figures who currently hold no official status - there were no solid formal criteria for inviting them. I try to assess their participation based on objective standards. Secondly, from a moral standpoint, those individuals did not have a strong justification to be present at the cathedral”, Kobakhidze said.

He reiterated that campaigns against the Church and the Patriarch had been systemic and involved the radical opposition, either directly or through expressions of support.

“Even if some did not directly participate through statements, showing loyalty toward those conducting such campaigns amounts to complicity. After that, expressing regret over not attending the funeral - when they could have entered the cathedral as ordinary citizens - is nothing but hypocrisy. No other assessment can be made”, Kobakhidze concluded.