DECREE ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA on Necessary Measures to be Taken to Protect Life and Ensure Security of Peaceful Population in the Armed Conflict Zone

On the part of territory of Georgia, in Abkhazia, controlled by the Gudauta separatist regime with the support of Russian military forces, the policy of ethnic cleansing, assuming the characteristics of genocide directed against the Georgian civil population and civilians of other nationalities is being carried out.

In order to rescue the lives of peaceful population, the Parliament of Georgia decrees:

1. To entrust the Council of National Security and Defense of Georgia with a task of setting up, within the shortest possible time framework, an extraordinary commission on helping peaceful population, hostages and prisoners of war, and this commission, together with the Ministry of Defense’s commission on prisoners of war, shall set out and implement effective measures aimed at solution of the problems within their jurisdiction. If necessary, in order to secure physical survival of people, temporarily evacuate the peaceful population from the territories under the control of Gudauta separatist regime.

2. In order to better understand the situation and work out concrete action-plan and measures to be taken, to dispatch to Abkhazia, without undue delay, delegation composed of members of the Parliament of Georgia, the Council of National Security and Defense and members of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Georgia under the leadership of Mr. Aleksandre Kavsadze - Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights and Inter-Ethnic Relations.

3. Without any delay and in order to put an end to the aggression, to draw the attention of international organizations and world community to the facts of genocide taking place on the part of territory of Georgia with the participation of foreign country.

4. The Council of National Security and Defense and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Georgia shall undertake all the necessary measures for securing save and timely return of forcefully displaced civilians to their permanent residences and shall create conducive environment and conditions to this end.

Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia V. Goguadze

1 April 1993

(Bulletin of the Parliament of Georgia, 1993, # # 5-8, p. 105-106)