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Georgian Patriarchate Suspends Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili From Priestly Duties
The Georgian Patriarchate has suspended Archimandrite Dorote Kurashvili from performing priestly duties, according to a statement released by the Patriarchate's Public Relations Service.
The decision was formalized in a decree signed by Patriarch Ilia II of Georgia. The document states that the suspension was imposed due to repeated violations of ecclesiastical canonical ethics. "Despite warnings, the right to perform priestly duties of Archimandrite Dorote (Kurashvili), a clergyman of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, is hereby suspended on the basis of Apostolic Canon 55, due to repeated violations of ecclesiastical canonical ethics," the decree states.
The decree was published on the Patriarchate's official Facebook page. The statement did not provide details about the specific violations that led to the decision.
The suspension drew criticism from Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, who said the move damaged the reputation of the Georgian Orthodox Church. "The decision of the Patriarchate shames the Georgian Church and its centuries-long struggle for freedom and independence," she said.
Zourabichvili also questioned whether the Patriarch personally supported the decision. "I will never believe that the Patriarch agrees with injustice," she wrote on social media, adding that she planned to go to Rustaveli Avenue to show solidarity with Archimandrite Dorote.
Russian Court Sentences Georgian National to 28 Years in Absentia for Fighting on Ukraine's Side
A Russian court has sentenced Georgian citizen Giorgi Partsvania to 28 years in prison in absentia on charges related to his alleged participation in fighting on the Ukrainian side, Russia's Investigative Committee said on December 12. Authorities added that Partsvania has been placed on an international wanted list.
The court found him guilty of mercenary activity, illegally crossing Russia's border, and multiple weapons-related offenses, including the unlawful acquisition, transport, and possession of firearms, ammunition, and explosive devices. He was also convicted of weapons smuggling and of committing what investigators described as a terrorist act as part of an organized group.
According to the Investigative Committee, the sentence includes nine years in prison, with the remainder of the term to be served in a maximum-security penal colony, as well as a fine of 2 million Russian rubles. The committee said the court considered the severity of the charges when determining the punishment.
Investigators alleged that Partsvania fought on Ukraine's side from 2014 to 2017 and again after February 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that he received financial compensation for his involvement.
The case also focuses on events in August 2024, when Partsvania allegedly crossed into Russia as part of a group of Ukrainian servicemen while carrying weapons and explosives. Russian authorities claim the group entered the Belgorod region and attacked the village of Poroz in the Graivoron municipal district, where investigators say two civilians were detained after homes were unlawfully entered.
Partsvania was sentenced in absentia. There was no immediate response from him or from Ukrainian officials.
