RESOLUTION
OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GEORGIA on measures
of conflict settlement in Abkhazia
Separatist forces which have been operating over
the decades on the ancient territory of Georgia, Abkhazia, with the support and
connivance of outside forces, since 1992 have carried out genocide and ethnic
cleansing of the Georgian population, taking live s of more than seven thousand
peaceful civilians, more than one thousand people disappeared without trace,
more than ten thousand people were wounded and maimed. Chairman of the Council
of Ministers of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, MP Zhiuli Shartava, and other
officials were killed brutally. 80% of the Abkhazian population was forced to
leave their own places. More than 20 000 residential houses were burnt down and
looted; schools, nursery schools, cultural centers, churches, architectural and
historic monuments were destroyed.
Terror and apartheid regime organized by the
separatists also victimized Greeks, Jews, Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, and
the Abkhazs themselves; some of them perished in the war; a major portion had
to flee from their home country and seek refuge in the regions of
Abkhazia turned into an uncontrollable territory
ravaged by terrorists, arms and drug traffickers, and organized crime gangs.
This territory poses a threat not only to
Separatist forces, using the most severe methods,
through ethnic cleansing and genocide, have separated Abkhazia from
Certain high-ranking officials bear their share of
responsibility for this tragedy. They failed to carry out State Council
instructions on the protection of the railway and highways and committed
actions that provided a pretext for separatists to unleash military offenses,
planned long in advance.
The Georgian Parliament also deems that certain
Georgians, as well as individuals of other nationalities, played a negative
part in the Abkhazian tragedy and the political and economic destabilization in
the country. Their irresponsible and criminal actions resulted in infringement
on dignity and life of our countrymen, thus supporting traitorous and
anti-state separatist activities.
It should be stressed that genocide and ethnic
cleansing of Georgians continued after the cessation of military actions,
especially in the Gali region, where more than 1000 people died after 1993.
Human rights abuse is wide-scale.
Despite long-standing negotiations between the
sides of the conflict, which were sponsored by the UN and mediated by
Peacekeeping Forces, designated by
The Parliament of Georgia abiding by the Georgian
Constitution, recognized norms of international law, UN and OSCE fundamental
documents, national-state interests of
2. Taking into the consideration the causes of the
conflict, the activity of the instigators, organizers, and perpetrators of the
conflict, ethnic cleansing, genocide and terrorist acts in Abkhazia, corruption
and crimes during the conflict, damage suffered by the population, and also
violations committed after the deployment of Peacekeeping Forces in the
conflict zone, the Georgian prosecutor’s office shall implement measures
provided by the law and report to the Parliament on the adopted decisions.
3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall present
to the UN materials on crimes against humanity, genocide, ethnic cleansing and
military crimes committed by separatists and address a request to the UN to
establish an International Tribunal.
4. All materials collected by prosecutor, reports
by the Supreme Council of Abkhazia and other materials on crimes committed and
supported by separatists shall be sent to the CIS Heads of States, the UN
Security Council, international organizations, and embassies resident in
5. The MFA shall:
A. Work intensively to realize the request sent by
the president of
B. Take active part in work against terrorist
activities by the Abkhazian regime to make the world aware of its alliance with
international terrorists and to participate with other international
organizations in conferences against terrorism.
6. Taking into consideration that the population
was subject to misinformation, blackmail, and direct threats, the Ministry of
Justice shall elaborate and submit to the Parliament a draft law on the
dismissal of criminal charges against participants of t he conflict, after the
restoration of the jurisdiction on the entire territory of Georgia. However,
those individuals directly involved in the organization and provocation of
conflict and in military operations, will not be exempt from prosecution for
military crimes and crimes against humanity.
7. The current developments in Abkhazia shall be
defined as a political conflict in Abkhazia, and not a Georgian - Abkhazian
conflict.
Participation in the settlement of the conflict
shall be defined by five subjects: the legitimate authority of Abkhazia and the
Abkhazian separatist group, as participants of the conflict;
8. Shall be confirmed, that the constitution of
Abkhazia, its presidential institution, legislative and
normative acts, its agreements with the structures of foreign
countries, ruling bodies, and their decisions that oppose the legislation of
Georgia and the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia shall be canceled and
considered as having no juridical power.
9. The Abkhazian Supreme Council and Cabinet of
Ministers located in
10. The Georgian Government shall direct active
assistance to the Government of the
11. Taking into the consideration that agreement
achieved by the UN mediation and other International Organizations are
unilaterally violated by the Abkhaz separatists, the aforementioned agreements
shall be subject to expert analyses. The Parliamentary Committees on defense
and Security and constitutional, and Legal Issues shall submit their
conclusions within the period of one month.
12. As the Russian Peacekeeping Forces under the
CIS mandate cannot provide the safe repatriation of internal displaced people
and refugees and the protection of their lives and dignity, and in the event
that the current mandate is retained and Georgian proposals are not considered
in a new mandate, then the peacekeeping operations shall be considered as
having no future and Peacekeeping Forces shall be withdrawn within two months’
time.
Repatriation of refugees and internal displaced
people to Abkhazia shall take place upon providing a full guarantee of their
safety, and actual restoration of
13. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
14. Official bodies of human rights defense shall
implement active measures for revealing facts of genocide and human rights
abuse on the
15. The Supreme Council and Council of Ministers
of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic shall enhance its activities within their
competency to implement organizational, informational-ideological work, and
shall also conduct their work in - in country as well as outside the country in
international organizations.
16. The political status of the
17. Corresponding Committees of the Parliament
shall work out projects on the state-territorial arrangement and separate
authority and competence of
18. Considering the importance of the problems of
the
19. The Georgian Government, the Supreme Council
and Cabinet of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia shall work out a proposals, considering public opinion, for honoring
the victims of Abkhazian conflict.
20. The Corresponding Committees of the parliament
of Georgia, the Supreme Council and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Autonomous
Republic of Abkhazia, and the Ministry of Refugees and Resettlement shall
present the draft law “On Refugees” by July 1st.
21. The Government of Georgia shall adopt a
resolution “On further measures to be taken for social assistance for the
refugees” and present it to the Parliament within two months.
22. The Parliament of Georgia supports the good
will of the Georgian citizens and the historical relations between the Georgian
and Abkhaz Populations, restoration and strengthening of the traditions of
friendship, also the development of bilateral and multilateral contacts and
public diplomacy on different levels that is in the interests of other
nationalities living in Abkhazia.
23. Based on the initiative of the President,
“Peace and stability in the
groups from the Georgian Parliament and Supreme Council of
Abkhazian Autonomous Republic shall be created to work with the people of the
24. It is recommended that the National Security
Council work out within two months a state program for settlement of the
Abkhazian conflict based on military, political, constitutional, judicial,
social-economic and new information realities.
25. The Parliament of Georgia appeals to central
and local governing bodies, all political parties, public organizations,
industrial and commercial structures, and funds to support the resolution of
the Parliament, to increase assistance to the refugees and to the families of
victims and facilitate the full restoration of Georgian jurisdiction and the
establishment of constitutional order in Abkhazia.
26. Creation of a corresponding Parliamentary
Commission on Abkhazia is favored.
It is entrusted to Mr. Vakhtang Kholbaia, Deputy
Chairman of the Parliament, the coordination of the implementation of the
resolution.
27. The Bureau of the Georgian parliament shall
control the fulfillment of the Resolution.
28. The Parliament of
29. The Resolution shall be published in press.
Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia Zurab Zhvania
(Bulletins of the Parliament of Georgia, 1996, # # 5-6,
p. 56-59)