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.”
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