Bonner Querschnitte 46/2016 Ausgabe 441 (eng)

(Bonn, 26.09.2016) The President of the International Council of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), Thomas Schirrmacher, has met with the President of the exiled Abkhaz government, Vakhtang Kolbaia, as well as with individual ministers during the course of a visit to the Georgia Section of the ISHR. Schirrmacher was informed in detail about the human rights situation in Abkhazia and the situation facing refugees from Abkhazia. Subsequent thereto, the exiled Abkhaz government offered a diplomatic dinner in honor of the guests.

Schirrmacher was accompanied by the President of the Georgian ISHR Section, Avtandil Davitaia, and by the head of the Germany-based Professorenforum, which together with the Cultural Institute of the Georgian Orthodox Church maintains the Georgian-German Dialog via a symposium with Christian scholars from both countries.

Schirrmacher expressed his incomprehension for the fact that Russia’s actions in the Ukraine have occupied the world media and have moved the EU and USA to take action with respect to sanctions while the de facto 24-year occupation of Abkhazia has not interested the public around the world. This is the case although there have been clear stipulations issued by the UN Security Council.

Likewise, there are Palestinian refugees who have gripped the world for decades. There are about 200,000 refugees from Abkhazia who have lived in Georgia since 1993 and would like to return to their homes. They would have no voice in the issue - were it not for the exiled government. Ethnic cleansing arose among Georgians remaining in Akbhazia in 1993 and culminated in the Sochumi massacre. Inhabitants were primarily tortured, raped, and burned to death, and in the end around 7,000 people were brutally killed, among them the head of the country’s government. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has officially acknowledged and condemned the ethnic cleansing against Georgians in Abkhazia. Up to know, no participants in the massacre have been brought to trial.

Abkhazia sees itself – financed and secured by Russia – as an independent country. According to international law, it counts as part of Georgia. Abkhazia has had independent state structures since 1993. Georgia no longer exercises any control over the area. In addition to Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru have recognized Abkhazia as a country, and they have received large amounts of financial aid as a result. Georgia and all other countries in the world view Abkhazia as illegally occupied Georgian territory and see the government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia as the rightful government in the region. It has its seat in the Georgian capital of Tiflis and exerts no actual influence over the region.

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• Photo 1: Reception by the exiled government of Abkhazia, at the front right the President, the President of Parliament, and the President of the Supreme Court
• Photo 2: View of the heads of the Abkhaz government, at the end the President of the ISHR in Georgia, Avtandil Davitaia
• Photo 3: Seat of the exiled government of Abkhazia
• Photo 4: Flag of Abkhazia