Georgia: Remains of 13 people missing in connection with 1992–93 armed conflict handed over to families

This was possible within the framework of the humanitarian Coordination Mechanism on Persons Unaccounted For in Connection with the Events of 1992–1993 Armed Conflict and After, involving Abkhaz and Georgian participants, operating with the ICRC's support since 2010. The remains of the missing people were recovered from different locations in Abkhazia.

At a meeting held on 19 July at Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, 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. The state minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Tea Akhvlediani, representatives of the national forensics bureau and the ICRC experts attended the meeting.

"Today is a special day for 13 families, who after decades of ambiguity have finally received the remains of their loved ones. I would like to express my deepest condolences and support to these families.

A greater engagement of all sides is needed to identify more missing persons. We are working together to ensure that there is a strong, long-term and locally driven system in place to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and to support their families in a sustainable way. It is also critical to involve families to ensure that the work undertaken is relevant, effective, understood and accepted by them. On behalf of the ICRC, I would like to reconfirm our commitment to this process," said Agnes Coutou, the ICRC Envoy on missing persons in Caucasus.

Since the inception of the coordination mechanism in 2010, working in connection with the 1992–93 armed conflict in Abkhazia, the remains of 228 people have been identified and handed over to their families. In total 1,928 people, including military personnel and civilians, are still reported as missing in connection with the armed conflict of 1992–93.