Georgia: Treatment of the Abkhazians in Georgia and protection available to them
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 April 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GGA29220.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Georgia: Treatment of the Abkhazians in Georgia and protection available to them, 1 April 1998, GGA29220.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abcd10.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Little information on the situation of Abkhazians in Georgia could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
However, a 14 August 1997 AFP report states that the autonomous region of Abkhasia in Georgia declared itself independent in 1992 and that approximatively 270,000 Georgians fled the region in 1992 and 1993 during the secessionist war that was eventually won by the Abkhaz who were provided with unofficial assistance from Russia.
Country Reports 1993 states that, in 1993 in Georgia proper, there was
little evidence to support allegations of ethnic cleansing, although it is probable that some ethnic Abkhazians were forced to move from Georgian-held territory in isolated instances.
A May 1996 Human Rights Watch/Helsinki report states that
most of the displaced Abkhazians have been able to return, many to set up house in formerly Georgian homes, but almost all ethnic Georgians have been "cleansed" from Abkhazia.
An 18 March 1998 AP report states that, according to Georgian government estimates, only 40,000 ethnic Georgians have returned to their homes in Abkhazia, that the Abkhazian authorities would not let others do the same, and that current negotiations to solve the conflict were at a stalemate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 14 August 1997. "Abkhazia, Separatist Region." (NEXIS)
Associated Press (AP). 18 March 1998. Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili. "Georgia Protesters Rally Against Russian Peacekeepers in Abkhasia." (NEXIS)
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1993. 1994. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Printing Office. (REFWORLD)
Additional Sources Consulted
Critique: Review of the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. For the years 1994-1996.
Electronic sources: FBIS, IRB databases, Internet, REFWORLD.
Human Rights Watch/Helsinki.May 1996. The Ingush-Ossetian Conflict in the Prigorodnyi Region. New York: Human Rights Watch. (REFWORLD)
Resource Centre Country files: Georgia. 1997-1998.
