Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia

The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as the Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia or the Massacre of Georgians in Abkhazia 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.

Quotes

• 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.
  • U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1993, February 1994, pp. 877, 881.

• 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.
  • Human Rights Watch Interview, GL87650 Abkhazia, 1995.

• 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.
  • Labirinth of Abkhazia by Vakhtang Kolbaia, p 34, 1999

• The shelling of Sokhumi 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.
  • D. Kholodov. “Moskovskiy komsomolets”, July 29, 1993, p. 3

• 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.
  • 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