Armenian Church in Georgia Vandalized After Religious Icons Thrown Near Trash Bin

An act of vandalism has taken place at the Armenian Holy Sign Church in the city of Akhaltsikhe in Georgia after unknown individuals removed religious icons from the church and threw them near a trash bin.

The incident was revealed in a video shared online by Father Hakob Abegha Sahakyan, the spiritual inspector of the Armenian communities of Akhaltsikhe and Borjomi. According to him, church representatives have already appealed to the relevant authorities in order to clarify what happened and identify those responsible for the incident.

Sahakyan explained that most of the damaged or discarded icons were Armenian, while some were Georgian. He warned against allowing the incident to create tensions or misunderstandings between Armenians and Georgians.

“We want this to receive a response from the relevant authorities and for the church to be monitored so that such actions are not repeated and do not lead our people into misunderstanding or turn the two nations against each other, because either those who did this are mentally ill, or it was a deliberate step against the two nations,” Sahakyan said.

Images and videos circulating online showed icons placed on the ground near a garbage area outside the church grounds, causing concern among members of the local Armenian community and others following the case on social media.

According to Georgian media reports, Georgia’s Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into the incident. The case was reportedly opened under the article related to the illegal obstruction of religious rituals.

The Armenian Holy Sign Church in Akhaltsikhe is one of the important Armenian religious sites in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, where a large Armenian community has lived for generations. Incidents involving churches and cultural heritage sites in the region often attract significant public attention because of the historical and religious importance they hold for local residents.

Authorities have not yet publicly announced whether any suspects have been identified.

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