Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
From Wikiquote
The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia or the Massacre of Georgians in Abkhazia [1][2] — refers to the massacres [3] and forced mass expulsion of thousands of ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia (de jure Autonomous Republic of Georgia) during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1991-1993 and 1998. Between 10,000 to 30,000 Georgians were killed by the Abkhaz separatists, foreign mercenaries, and by Russian Federation forces.
The ethnic cleansing and massacres of Georgians has been officially recognized by the OSCE convention in 1994 and again in 1996 during the Budapest summit and condemned the “perpetrators of war crimes committed during the conflict.” [4] On July 8, 2004 prosecutors at the Hague-based UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) made the almost unprecedented decision to launch an investigation about genocide and crimes against humanity in Abkhazia. [5]
[edit] Quotes
Georgians can't live here any more, in Abkhazia they can only die.[6]
The Abkhaz separatist forces committed widespread atrocities against the Georgian civilian population, killing many women, children, and elderly, capturing some as hostages and torturing others ... they also killed large numbers of Georgian civilians who remained behind in Abkhaz-seized territory.[7]
A terrible find has been made by the local residents of the mountains of Abkhazia, near the spot where clashes with the sea-born landing troops (attempting to cut the Ochamchire-Sokhumi highway) had taken place..Pieces of a human body were hanging on long wires from tree..Those were remains of two skinned Georgian men..It is not only soldiers that are killed. In the same woods, near one village there I found a corpse of a pregnant Georgian women. She had been raped and disemboweled. [8]
When they [Abkhaz] entered Gagra, I saw Shamyl Basaev's battalion. I have never seen such a horror. They were raping and killing everyone who was captured and dragged from their homes. Abkhaz commander Arshba raped 14 years old girl and later gave an order to execute her. For the whole day I only could hear the screams and cries of the people who were brutally tortured. On the next day, I witnessed the mass execution of people on the stadium. They installed machine guns and mortars on the top and placed people right on the field. It took couple of hours to kill everybody. [9]
The Abkhaz separatists killed people of other nationalities as well, including those who tried to protect Georgians. After the city was seized, the streets were covered with bodies. Separatists destroyed the Baramidze, Chkhetia, Baramia, Gvazava, Dzidziguri, Absandze, Shonia, and Kutsia families, as well as many others. [10]
The shelling of Sokhumi (by Russians) is the most disgusting thing in this war. All the residents of Sokhumi remember the first shelling. It took place on 2 December 1992. The first rocket fell on Peace Street. They struck at crowded places. The next strategic 'target' was the town market which was hit with great precision. Eighteen people were killed that day. There were always lots of people in the market."[8]
...They captured a young girl. She was hiding in the bushes near the house where they killed her parents. She was raped several times. One of the soldiers killed her and mutilated her. She was cut in half. Near her body they left a massage: as this corpse will never be as one peace, Abkhazia and Georgia will never be united as well [11]
"The Abkhazian separatist group captured sisters – Eka Jvania (17 years old) and Marina Jvania (14 years old), Leila Samushia and others in village Pshadi. They undressed them in front of their parents and neighbors, and raped them. After this the Abkhazians executed all of them by shooting."[12]
For all those volunteers who have contributed in our victory, we shall reward them with residency and citizenship. [13]
And out of group of 12 front line soldiers, 2 were Abkhazian, 2 were Armenian, 1 Armenian locally from Sukhumi, 1 from Yerevan who was too young to go fight the good fight in Karabakh, and the rest were either from the North Caucasus or from places like in Siberia. What were they motivated by? Looting. They had been promised houses with tangerine gardens. They had been promised cars." [14]
| “ | When Abkhaz entered my house, they took me and my seven year old son outside. After forcing us to knee, they took my son and shot him right in front of me. After they grabbed me by hair and took me to the nearby well. Abkhaz soldier forced me to look down that well; there I saw three younger man and couple of elderly woman who were standing soaking in water naked. They were screaming and crying while Abkhaz were dumping dead corpses on them. After, they threw a grenade there and placed more people inside. I was forced again to knee in front of the dead corpses. One of the soldiers took his knife and took the eye out from one of the dead near me. Then he started to rub my lips and face with that decapitated eye. I could not take it any longer and fainted. They left me there in pile of corpses.”.[15] | ” |
| “ | My husband Sergo was dragged and tightened to the tree. Abkhaz woman named Zoya Tsvizba brought a tray with lots of salt on it. She took the knife and started to inflict wounds on my husband. After, she threw salt onto my husbands exposed wounds. They tortured him like that for ten minutes. After, they forced a young Georgian boy (they killed him after) to dig a whole with the tractor. They placed my husband in this whole and buried him alive. The only thing I remember him saying before he was covered with the gravel and sand was: “Dali take care of the kids! ”.[16] | ” |
[edit] References
- ↑ Dr Andrew Andersen, Conflict in Abkhazia, YATT Publishing 2001
- ↑ Chervonnaia, Svetlana Mikhailovna. Conflict in the Caucasus: Georgia, Abkhazia, and the Russian Shadow. Gothic Image Publications, 1994.
- ↑ Human Rights Watch Helsinki, Vol 7, No 7, March 1995, p 230
- ↑ From the Resolution of the OSCE Budapest Summit, December 6, 1994
- ↑ http://www.unpo.org/article.php?id=942
- ↑ Quote by Valery Smir, "Komsomolskaya Pravda" December 19, 1992
- ↑ U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993, February 1994, pp. 877, 881.
- ↑ a b Dmitry Kholodov, Moscow journalist covering the Conflict, 1992
- ↑ Human Rights Watch Interview, GL87650 Abkhazia, 1995.
- ↑ Labirinth of Abkhazia by Vakhtang Kolbaia, p 34, 1999
- ↑ Dmitry Kholodov, Moscow journalist covering the Conflict, 1992
- ↑ Report by Human Rights Watch Helsinki, March 1995
- ↑ Quote by Vladislav Ardzinba (Separatist leader), "Izvestiya" October, 1992
- ↑ Briefing on Current Situation in Georgia and Implications for U.S. Policy, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Monday, October 25, 1993', p.7
- ↑ White Book of Abkhazia. 1992-1993 Documents, Materials, Evidences. Moscow, 1993.
- ↑ Chervonnaia, Svetlana Mikhailovna. Conflict in the Caucasus: Georgia, Abkhazia, and the Russian Shadow. Gothic Image Publications, 1994
