Union of Warriors of Abkhazia: Gia Baramidze’s statement paints patriotic Georgian fighters as war criminals and distorts the truth

“Gia Baramidze’s assessment is not only historically groundless and unacceptable to us, but is deeply insulting to the individuals who defended Georgia’s territorial integrity in the Abkhazia War at the cost of their very lives,” reads the statement issued by the Union of Warriors of Abkhazia.

“The Union of Warriors of Abkhazia categorically condemns Giorgi Baramidze’s statement on Iago Khvichia’s show The Birth of Georgia – 9 Years, in which he asserted that Georgian fighters executed Abkhaz prisoners, whereas the Russian side maintained ‘discipline’ towards captives and exchanged those they had detained.

This statement is provocative, treasonous, and anti-state; it paints patriotic Georgian fighters as war criminals, defiles their honour and dignity, and treacherously and deliberately distorts the truth! Such an assessment is not only historically groundless and unacceptable to us, but is deeply insulting to those who defended Georgia’s territorial integrity in the Abkhazia War at the cost of their very lives.

Saddling Georgia’s fighters with collective guilt without evidence can under no circumstances be accepted as historical fact! We urge Baramidze to provide specific facts backing his statement, which the relevant authorities must investigate!

Particularly unacceptable is the portrayal of the Russian armed forces’ discipline and their ‘humane’ treatment of prisoners as a positive example within the context of the war waged against Georgia.

This does not align with the historical and political reality in which the Abkhazia conflict unfolded, the devastating consequences of which remain a formidable challenge for Georgia to this day.

Establishing historical truth cannot be achieved by casting collective blame on Georgia’s defenders and morally justifying Russia’s military role.

The history of the Abkhazia War is not a matter for political speculation.

We will not permit anyone to defile the dignity of Georgian fighters through statements damaging to the country, nor to exploit the memory of the fallen for political ends!” reads the statement of the Union of Warriors of Abkhazia, signed by the Chairman of the Union of Warriors of Abkhazia, Anzor Margiani, and the Chairman of the Commanders’ Council of the Union of Warriors of Abkhazia, Levan Ketsbaia.