Searching for persons missing in connection with the 1992-1993 armed conflict in Abkhazia continues
(Geneva) - The coordination mechanism seeking to account for people who went missing in connection with the 1992-93 armed conflict in Abkhazia and its aftermath, consisting of Abkhaz and Georgian participants, held its 17th meeting on 4 December 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) chaired the meeting in its capacity as a neutral intermediary.
"Since the establishment of the coordination mechanism, 308 sets of human remains have been identified and handed over to their families for a dignified burial," said Agnès Coutou, the ICRC Envoy on Missing Persons in the Caucasus, who chaired the meeting.
"Tragically, 1,753 people are still unaccounted for. The dialogue between the participants, guided by the humanitarian principles of the coordination mechanism, has been crucial for achieving progress and eventually offering families the answers they seek”.
The participants discussed the need to search for additional information on possible burial sites, achievements since the last mechanism meeting held in May 2024, and ongoing challenges related to the identification process.
Under international humanitarian law, families have the right to know what happened to their missing loved ones. The coordination mechanism to clarify the fate of people unaccounted for during the conflict of 1992-93 and its aftermath was established in 2010 under the auspices of the ICRC. The ICRC provides support to the mechanism, including technical expertise, in its capacity as a neutral humanitarian organization.
For further information, please contact:
Maya Kardava, ICRC Tbilisi, tel: +995 5 99 55 88 18
Boris Kazanba, ICRC Sukhum/i, tel.: +794 09 215 373
