Ossetians Celebrated Independence Day by Raiding Georgian Villages

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori

Today, IDPs stopped returning to Gori from Tbilisi. Representatives of the Social Department of the Gori Municipality Board stated that Gori cannot accept anymore IDPs. Some of IDPs were sent to the villages of Shindisi, Phkhvenisi, Variani, Tkviavi, Mereti Marana, Dzevera, and Shertuli, which is now occupied by Russian troops. Ossetian marauders have since attacked the returned locals and they are under threat for the second time.

IDPs who returned from Tbilisi to Gori are now internally displaced for the second time. People had to flee from the village of Karaleti for the second time because on August 26 the Ossetians celebrated the “independence” and dispersed what was left of the Georgian population.

At the nights of unilateral recognition of South Ossetia’s independence, drunken Ossetians entered the village of Meghvrekisi and dispersed people who were there. Scared people quickly escaped to Gori by foot. On the previous night marauders attacked Zemo Nikozi as well. The locals abandoned their houses and went to Kvemo Khviti where they came into contact with Russian troops. They told the Russians everything in details, the “peacekeepers’ took several locals with them in a tank to Nikozi to punish looters but there they could not find anybody.

A completely different situation exists in the Patara Liakhvi valley. Reportedly, several days ago the house of 82-year-old Moshe Chipchiuri in the village of Beloti was burnt down to the ground. His son, Zura Chipchiuri is wounded in the back and is now recovering in Rustavi. Evidently, Ossetians burnt the house out of revenge against Zura Chipchiuri who had fought against them. Mamuka Tsikaridze, nephew of Moshe Chipchiuri, informed the Human Rights Center about the recent incident. Looters stole nearly 300-400 cows from the villages of the Patara Liakhvi Valley.

It is notable that none of ethnic Ossetian families living outside the conflict zone were injured or experienced damage to their property, or even abused during the recent hostilities in Shida Kartli. Furthermore, after Russians occupied the territory the Ossetian families also fled from the area, and they had lived peacefully with local Georgians. Geronti Tvaliashvili, a resident of the village of Shindisi, stated that during massive bombing of Tskhinvali, that Ossetians also left their village and went to Tbilisi together with them.

“I should say that this time, Georgians did not have the same kind of hatred towards Ossetians as it was experienced 16 years ago. Then, Ossetians dispersed the Georgians living in their villages and Georgians dispersed Ossetians living in their villages. Today, Ossetians were not abused in Georgian villages. Our houses and families were destroyed by Russians and Kazaks,” said Geronti Tvaliashvili.

The village of Shindisi is located half way between Nikozi and Gori. The houses in that village were damaged by the artillery from Nikozi. In fact, Shindisi became a military base and when Kazaks and Chechens entered the village they found it completely empty of its inhabitants. Those that lived there were hard-working people and were fairly well-off. Thus, Kazaks and Chechens were able to take much bounty.

Ossetians safely live in Gori as well. According to the local authority nearly 51 Ossetian families continue to live in Tsmindatskali district of Gori.