14 July 2011, 12:00
Orthodox believers in Georgia protest against biometric passports
Organizational Assembly of Orthodox believers of Georgia protests against enacting new electronic certificates of identity in the country. Zaza Nanobashvili, leader of the Assembly, made this statement at an action of protest near the National Museum.
Issue of new electronic certificates of identity is planned in Georgia this summer. The new document is a plastic card with a certificate of the digital signature.
Members of the Orthodox Assembly demand that receiving the new certificates should be voluntary explaining that this is an international practice.
The believers are going to appeal to the Holy Synod and the Patriarch and also start negotiations with the Government on voluntary procedure of issuing the biometric passports. They sent a message with the same demand to President Mikhail Saakashvili, “Georgia-Online” reports.
On June, 29, the Parliament of Georgia confirmed the procedure of issuing biometric passports according to which long first and last names not fitting in the respective sections of the document might be abridged. The Labour party came out in opposition to this decision of the Parliament.
