Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) slammed the Parliament’s decision to endorse amendments to the Forest Code, which foresee granting ownership of hundreds of hectares of forestland to the Georgian Orthodox Church, highlighting that the move is “discriminatory”.

“Granting additional financial and property guarantees to the Georgian Orthodox Church puts other religious groups under unequal conditions. The provision of the Law on State Property, awarding the GOC the right to receive state property free of charge, had been struck down by the Constitutional Court.

We consider that this case contradicts equality standards stipulated by the Georgian constitution and overrules the foregone decision by the Constitutional Court. The amendments goes against the objectives of the Forest Code and key principles of forest management”, - reads the statement of GYLA.