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Georgian Population Is Trafficked In Abkhazia

December 4, 2006

zitrusi.gifGeorgian population of the Abkhazia coped with additional problems during the citrus season. They are to give certain amount of their harvest to the de-facto Abkhazian Government. Beside that, they were trafficked in Abkhaz families.

Although there are a lot of facts proving the hard situation in the area, Georgian government cannot solve the problem because of certain reasons. International organizations just present facts. As for the Abkhazian trafficking, it differs according to the seasons. For example, during the citrus season Georgian people from Gali are transported to Sokhumi to pick citrus. 

Public Defender of the Abkhazian legitimate Government, Murman Chkhotua, has information about the incident too. Consequently, he sends letters to UN offices in Tbilisi and Abkhazia in vain. "Abkhaz people forcibly employ Georgian people in their farms without any payment. It mainly happens in Sokhumi, Ochamchire and Gulrifshi districts.

"I cannot say the names of trafficked people to avoid them additional problems. People are transported in groups to work in plantations. A group of Abkhaz arrives in the villages to collect Georgian workers. Three-four days later, having finished their duty people are sent back home and another group of workers are selected. Although they are given some food, nobody pays them for their work."

Although the UN office has information about the situation, they cannot do anything. They do not comment the fact in their office either. Murman Chkhotua says that he sent several letters to the UN office and also had private conversations with its representatives. "I have informed UN Offices both in Tbilisi and Sokhumi several times. It is necessary to open Human Rights Office of the UN in Gali district. They answered me that the UN reacts on every fact of human rights violation. I last sent them my letter several days ago, but I have not received any answers yet."

The facts of trafficking were confirmed by Paata Zakareishvili, conflictologist. However, he said that those people are paid some money. However, Georgian people, living in Gali district, concur that in Sokhumi they had worked like slaves.

Human Rights Centre has conversed with two trafficked families, who agreed to be interviewed without publishing their names. They speak about Georgian people's trafficking in Abkhazia in details.

Respondent from Gali district said, "This fact is not a surprise for us. We have already got used to it. If we do not obey, they will wreak their vengeance upon our children."

Journalist: Can you tell us in details how are people taken and trafficked there?

Respondent: As the nut season approaches, we except Abkhaz police arrive at our house and produce the list of families who should be taken to work. The policemen deal us in civil forms. They tell us the date and place of meeting, from where a lorry will take us to Abkhazia.

Journalist:Where were you personally taken to?

Respondent: I had to work in Ochamchire. They wanted to take my husband but he was ill and I went instead of him. Arriving at the place we were divided into groups of four and five men and distributed to various plantations. Some of the groups were to pick the citrus from the one acre large plantations; the others were to work on the three and four acres large plots. They will send people back as soon as they have finished your work."

Journalist: Were you taken to some house or straight to the plantation?

Respondent: No I was taken straight to the plantation. Tools were on the place.

Journalist: Did you have breaks, were you given food, and where did you live?

Respondent: Yes, we had breaks. Do you know how it was? We had to work in the plantations and sooner we finished the earlier we would go home. As for the food, every family had barns near their plantations. They brought food at the place and we could eat when we wished. Our daily ration consisted of sausages, bread, tins and water. We worked until dark, and then slept in the barns.

Journalist:Were there beds in the barn?

Respondent: Yes, of course there were. We call it barn; actually they were little houses which they used as a barn."

Eka Gulua

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