Rotting Christ Arrested in Georgia Under Suspicions of Terrorism

While touring Europe, Greek black metal icons Rotting Christ faced opposition when entering the country of Georgia. Two of the band's members, Sakis and Themis Tolis, were arrested under suspicion of terrorism related to the Rotting Christ moniker, which led authorities to presume the musicians were Satanists.

The band's label, Season of Mist, detailed the information in a Facebook post (seen below), which included Sakis' recollection of the events. On the morning of April 12, Rotting Christ arrived at Georgia's border where the Tolis brothers were stopped by police and led to another area of the airport where they were to be further questioned. Stripped of their passports and cell phones, they were brought to a prison cell and were told the matter of their arrest was "confidential."

Lawyers then told the two they were on a "list of unwanted persons of national security" which labeled them Satanists and "suspects of terrorism." The conditions of their cell were "rather dirty" according to Sakis, who explained he and his brother were forbidden contact with anyone else, including legal representation and the embassy for 12 hours.

Fortunately, Rotting Christ's other two members quickly began work toward a solution, contacting the local promoter "who involved legal experts, journalists and activists in Georgia." Eventually, the brothers were released and were able to perform their scheduled concert and left the country for their next destination, Armenia, without hassle.

See Rotting Christ in the Top 30 Black Metal Albums of All Time

10 Bands That Were Banned From Countries