Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia

Georgian refugees from South Ossetia in Tbilisi on August 10, 2008.

Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in South Ossetia was a mass expulsion of ethnic Georgians conducted in South Ossetia and other territories occupied by Russian and South Ossetian forces,[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] which happened during and after the 2008 Russia–Georgia war.[8] Overall, at least 20,000 Georgians were forcibly displaced from South Ossetia.[9]

The Human Rights Watch concluded that the "South Ossetian forces sought to ethnically cleanse" the Georgian-populated areas.[10] In 2009, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe resolutions condemned "the ethnic cleansing and other human rights violations in South Ossetia, as well as the failure of Russia and the de facto authorities to bring these practices to a halt and their perpetrators to justice".[11] According to the September 2009 report of the European Union-sponsored Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia, "several elements suggest the conclusion that ethnic cleansing was carried out against ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia both during and after the August 2008 conflict."[12]

Of the 192,000 people displaced in the 2008 war, 127,000 were displaced in Georgia proper, 30,000 within South Ossetia, and another 35,000 fled to North Ossetia.[13] According to the 2016 census conducted by the South Ossetian authorities, 3,966 ethnic Georgians remained in the breakaway territory, constituting 7% of the region's total population of 53,532.[14]

  1. ^ "August 28, 2008 Article: Georgia warns of ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia. AP via highbeam". Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  2. ^ "South Ossetia one year on: Georgians wait in fear for Russians to return" telegraph.co.uk 01 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
  3. ^ Patashuri, Mikheil (2008-08-13). "A few more facts". Jordan Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
  4. ^ "Report by the Government of Georgia on the aggression by the Russian Federation against Georgia " georgiandaily.com 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
  5. ^ "Saakashvili Calls for Unity on War Anniversary" civil.ge 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
  6. ^ "Another War: Who Is It Good For? " georgiandaily.com 7 August 2009 Link retrieved 16 August 2009
  7. ^ Sengupta, Kim; Walker, Shaun (2008-08-20). "Georgians tell of ethnic cleansing". The Independent. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  8. ^ "Ethnic Cleansing Continues in South Ossetian Conflict Zone in Georgia - Den norske Helsingforskomité". 2009-07-29. Archived from the original on 2009-07-29. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  9. ^ "South Ossetia: The Burden of Recognition - Europe Report N°205" (PDF). International Crisis Group. 7 June 2010. p. i. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  10. ^ The Human Rights Watch (January 23, 2009), Up in Flames: Humanitarian Law Violations and Civilian Victims in the Conflict over South Ossetia, pp. 3, 10, 125, 131. ISBN 1-56432-428-1
  11. ^ Resolution 1647 (2009) Archived 2009-11-22 at the Wayback Machine and Resolution 1683 (2009) Archived 2013-12-27 at the Wayback Machine. PACE. Retrieved on October 18, 2009
  12. ^ IIFFMCG report, vol. II, ch. 7 Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, pp. 389-394. IIFFMCG website. Retrieved on September 30, 2009
  13. ^ "Revised UN estimates show 192,000 uprooted during Georgia conflict". UN News. 12 September 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  14. ^ Svanidze, Tamar (12 August 2016). "South Ossetian Authorities Release Results of 1st Census in 26 Years". Georgia Today. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.