Georgia: Remains of 16 people missing in connection with 1992-93 armed conflict handed over to families
Georgia (ICRC) – The remains of 16 people missing in connection with the armed conflict of 1992-1993 in Abkhazia were recovered, identified and handed over to their families, by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
This was made possible under the humanitarian mandate of the Coordination Mechanism on Persons Unaccounted For in Connection with the Events of the 1992-1993 Armed Conflict and After, which has operated with the ICRC’s support since 2010 and involves Abkhaz and Georgian participants.
The families had the opportunity to ask questions and receive information about the process of the search, recovery of remains and identification of their loved ones during a meeting held on 5 August at the Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau (NFB). The meeting was attended by representatives from the Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, the NFB and the ICRC.
The remains were moved to the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi for a public farewell ceremony which was attended by representatives from the veterans’ union, government authorities, and the community.
“Families of missing people have the right to know the fate and whereabouts of their relatives,” said Anne Montavon, the head of the ICRC delegation in Georgia.
“Our continued work with the Coordination Mechanism aim to allay the suffering of these families, by providing them with answers to their questions. Today, the 16 families who had been living in ambiguity for the past three decades could finally pay tribute to their deceased family members. We express our deepest condolences to the family members."
Since 2013, the remains of 543 people have been recovered from various locations. 301 of them (including these 16) have been identified and handed over to their families. A total of 1,849 people, including military personnel and civilians, are still reported missing in connection with the armed conflict of 1992-93.
The Coordination Mechanism, with support from ICRC, continues working to determine what happened to the missing people in connection with the conflict.
For further information, please contact:
Maya Kardava, ICRC Tbilisi
tel: +995 599 55 88 18
