HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ARMS PROJECT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH/HELSINKI March 1995 Vol. 7, No. 7 GEORGIA/ABKHAZIA: VIOLATIONS OF THE LAWS OF WAR AND RUSSIA'S ROLE IN THE CONFLICT CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS............................................................................................................5 EVOLUTION OF THE WAR.......................................................................................................................................6 The Role of the Russian Federation in the Conflict.........................................................................................7 RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................................................8 To the Government of the Republic of Georgia ..............................................................................................8 To the Commanders of the Abkhaz Forces .....................................................................................................8 To the Government of the Russian Federation................................................................................................8 To the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus...........................................................................9 To the United Nations .....................................................................................................................................9 To the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe..........................................................................9 II. INTRODUCTION: THE HUMAN RIGHTS CONSEQUENCES OF "MANAGED" CONFLICTS IN THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS ..................................................................................................................................................9 NINE GENERAL PATTERNS OF CONFLICT IN THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS....................................10 Ethnic War ....................................................................................................................................................10 Contemporary Politics, Not Ancient Ethnic Hatred ......................................................................................10 The Lack of Democratic Legitimacy and the Rule of Law............................................................................10 Indiscipline and Lawlessness of Armed Units...............................................................................................10 Forced Relocation .........................................................................................................................................11 Disordered Warfare.......................................................................................................................................11 Indiscriminate Attacks...................................................................................................................................11 The Russian Presence....................................................................................................................................12 "Outsiders" in the Conflict ............................................................................................................................12 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH'S ROLE IN MONITORING CONFLICTS IN THE FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS12 The Human Rights Watch Mandate ..............................................................................................................12 Standards Applied by Human Rights Watch .................................................................................................12 III. ANTECEDENTS TO THE ABKHAZ CONFLICT............................................................................................................13 CIVIL WAR IN GEORGIA ........................................................................................................................................13 THE SHEVARDNADZE GOVERNMENT ...............................................................................................................14 ABKHAZ SEPARATISM...........................................................................................................................................15 THE RUSSIAN ROLE BEFORE THE CONFLICT...................................................................................................16 Weapons supplies to the parties ....................................................................................................................16 IV. ACTS OF LAWLESSNESS DURING THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF FIGHTING, AUGUST TO SEPTEMBER 1992 .....................................................................................................................................................................................17 THE GEORGIAN ATTACK ON SUKHUMI ............................................................................................................17 THE AFTERMATH OF THE ATTACK....................................................................................................................18 RUSSIAN INTERESTS AT THE OUTSET OF HOSTILITIES................................................................................19 Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch 485 Fifth Avenue 1522 K Street, NW, Suite 910 New York, NY 10017 Washington, DC 20005 Tel.: (212) 972-8400 Tel.: (202) 371-6592 Fax: (212) 972-0905 Fax: (202) 371-0124 HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE FIRST WEEKS OF HOSTILITIES ...............................................................20 LAWLESSNESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY............................................................................................................21 V. MASS HOSTAGE-TAKING AND POPULATION EXCHANGES DURING SEE-SAW FIGHTING, SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER 1992 ......................................................................................................................................................22 THE ABKHAZ ATTACK UP THE HIGHWAY TO GAGRA ..................................................................................22 THE FALL OF GAGRA AND ACCOMPANYING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ..........................................23 ETHNICALLY-BASED HOSTAGE-TAKING AND POPULATION EXCHANGES .............................................24 THE RUSSIAN ROLE................................................................................................................................................26 FURTHER FIGHTING IN 1992.................................................................................................................................28 VI. INDISCRIMINATE FIRE DURING THE STALEMATE AT THE GUMISTA RIVER, SUKHUMI, DECEMBER 1992 TO JULY 1993 ..................................................................................................................................................................28 INDISCRIMINATE FIRE...........................................................................................................................................29 ABKHAZ ATTEMPTS TO RETAKE SUKHUMI ....................................................................................................31 THE RUSSIAN ROLE................................................................................................................................................32 Forceful Neutrality ........................................................................................................................................32 A Right to Intervene in "The Near Abroad"..................................................................................................33 Mediation and Humanitarian Aid..................................................................................................................34 THE SITUATION BY THE END OF JULY 1993.....................................................................................................34 VII. THE FALL OF SUKHUMI AND FLIGHT OF THE GEORGIAN POPULATION, AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1993.35 THE ABKHAZ ATTACK...........................................................................................................................................35 VIOLATIONS OF THE LAWS OF WAR IN THE FALL OF SUKHUMI ...............................................................36 THE AFTERMATH THROUGH DECEMBER 1993................................................................................................37 THE RUSSIAN ROLE................................................................................................................................................38 VIII. RESPONSES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE ABKHAZ CONFLICT, JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1994 .......................................................................................................39 RESPONSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY .......................................................................................39 UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD THE ABKHAZ CONFLICT .....................................................................40 IX. "VOLUNTEERS," "MERCENARIES," AND "OUTSIDERS" IN THE ABKHAZ CONFLICT ......................................41 OUTSIDE FIGHTERS IN THE ABKHAZ CONFLICT ............................................................................................42 RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT SURROGATES? ..........................................................................................................43 X. SUMMARY OF WEAPONS TRANSFERS TO ABUSIVE PARTIES IN THE CONFLICT AND THE ROLE OF