‘He spoke a truth that many Georgians do not want to hear’
Abkhazians lost 4% of their population; each Abkhazian family lost at least one member during the war.
Reactions in Abkhazia to the detention of Giorgi Baramidze on treason charges. / Vektor Kavkaza
The detention of Georgia’s former defence minister and opposition figure Giorgi Baramidze has prompted widespread discussion in Abkhazia. Many argue that he was arrested for voicing an uncomfortable truth that Georgia is trying to conceal.
Baramidze, one of the leaders of Georgia’s United National Movement, was detained on 11 September on charges of treason and sabotage. During an appearance on a local programme on 18 July, he stated that, at the beginning of the 1992–93 war in Abkhazia, Georgian soldiers had shot captives on the spot rather than taking them prisoner.
Official response
Baramidze’s statement provoked a strong reaction in Abkhazia. On 7 August, the republic’s Foreign Ministry commented on the criminal proceedings against him:
‘Clearly, this prosecution is intended as a warning to anyone prepared to speak openly about Georgia’s armed aggression and the crimes committed during it. For many years, the Republic of Abkhazia has consistently called for these crimes to be acknowledged, thoroughly investigated and properly assessed under international law. Instead of reflecting constructively and responsibly on the past, sections of Georgian society continue to deny the crimes committed, cynically replacing the facts with politicised interpretations.’
Reactions from political figures
Aslan Kobakhia, a former interior minister, recipient of the Hero of Abkhazia title, war veteran and public figure, commented on Baramidze’s arrest on Facebook:
‘These people have completely lost their minds. Apparently, none of this ever happened. Before Abkhazia’s independence was recognised in 2008, numerous international organisations worked in our country. They know full well about the atrocities committed by the Georgian military.
‘We lost around 300 men in the January and March offensives of 1993. After the January offensive, the Georgian side agreed to return the bodies of our men. To our horror, many of the bodies were still warm. They had been killed just before being handed over. After the March offensive, the Georgian side refused to return the bodies at all.
‘Similar incidents occurred on the Eastern Front. Moreover, after the liberation of Sukhum, Abkhaz investigators obtained photographs showing our captured soldiers still alive. These men were subsequently executed and thrown into a mass grave. After the war, more than 200 bodies were recovered from that grave.’
Kobakhia wrote that, to his knowledge, Baramidze had been involved in prisoner-of-war exchanges during the war and had subsequently held senior positions in the Georgian leadership.
‘Perhaps he forgot, or never properly learnt, one simple truth about modern Georgian politics: when it comes to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, you must never tell the truth, or you could end up in prison, branded an enemy of the people.’
Akhra Bzhania, a former MP, war veteran and public figure, left a comment beneath Kobakhia’s post:
‘After 5 January, the men were finished off with knives, and only then were their bodies handed over in the exchange… We saw it all at the morgue in Gudauta.’
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Reactions on social media
Some social media users described the Georgian politician’s remarks as official confirmation of war crimes:
‘The man told the truth. They were not only shot but also thrown into a mass grave. Only now, 30 years later, have their remains been identified and their families finally been able to bury them.’
‘He spoke a truth that many Georgians do not want to hear and refuse to acknowledge.’
‘The moment he told the truth, he became a traitor to his country! They would do better to admit their guilt and take an honest look at what happened!’
‘Yes, when prisoner exchanges were agreed, the Abkhaz handed over Georgian prisoners, while the Georgians shot our prisoners and handed over their bodies. That is the truth.’
‘They were shot just before being handed over. The bodies of those poor men were still warm. God will judge them!’
‘They prosecute people for telling the truth, yet praise those who spread lies about the Abkhaz and Abkhazia. What a complete paradox.’
Others, however, were more sceptical about Baramidze’s motives:
‘This does not mean he is honest or has a conscience. They are caught up in their own political rivalry, so they are attacking one another with whatever they can.’
First published in Russian by Vektor Kavkaza. Translated into English by AbkhazWorld.