Gali Georgian Population Is Not Issued Abkhazian Passports

Abkhazian self-proclaimed government has been forcing local people to take Russian and Abkhazian passport for three years now. The process of issuing Russian passports has become the source of corruption. Abkhazian self-proclaimed government also confesses the fact.

Vice-president of Abkhazian self-proclaimed Republic, Raul Khajinba, warned people on TV not to pay more than 300 Russian rubles. That is official price of the passport. However, people from Sukhumi and Gagra say that all of them have paid much more money for passports.

"Though they have announced on TV, I have paid 1 500 rubles and have not been issued one for two years. I produced all documents they demanded. However, my documents are either in Sochi or in Russian embassy. I do not know what to do. I am a retired person and cannot receive my pension without passport," said Margo Shengelia from Gagra.

People in Gali have more difficult situation. Passport Department has ceased to issue form # 9, which is identity card, for three months now. It used to replace passport and permit for native residents. Abkhazian militia very often detains people for not having the form on them.

Councilor of the village of Pirveli Otobaia, Dali Khalvashi said: "They have ceased to issue form # 9 for several months. Militia detains villagers and extorts money from them. We do not know what to do. Their activities aim at blaming people and then arrest them'.

Journalist:What about Abkhazian and Russian passports? Do they issue those passports to Georgians too?

D. Khalvashi:Unfortunately, they do not. However, Abkhazian militia demands those passports... I do not know what to do. I have taken all documents from those people who needed passports and submitted them to Gali militia Passport Department. But long time has passed since then and nobody has taken passport. Retired people are in the most difficult situation. They will not be able to take their pension if they do not have passports in January. You must not show Georgian passport here."

Journalist:What are their reasons for not giving passports?

D.Khalvashi:They do not trust us.

Journalist:Don't you have passport either?

D. Khalvashi:No I don't have it either.

One Georgian person who has neither Russian nor Abkhazian passport is Gali district resident Eter Ubilava.

Ubilava said the following: "I applied passport department seven months ago. I handed in my documents to a certain Tania. Since that time I used to arrive at the office two or three times a week, but there was no answer from them. They do have neither seals nor forms. Finally, they warned me if I complained too much, they would not give me anything. I have arrived from Moscow for this passport. Now I cannot travel back because I have Georgian passport. You know, it would be difficult to stay there with Georgian documents.

The only thing I could mange was to help my nephew to take Russian fraudulent passport in Sukhumi."

Ms. Ubilava's nephew is Georgian; he was born in Gali in 1981. He has no parents and has lived in Moscow with his cousins for three years now. His cousins are Russian citizens. He had problems with Russian law enforcers recently.

Passport regime has become severe in Gali district. It is proved by the incident which happened on November, 14. Group of thirty Abkhazian militiamen arrived in the villages in the area and detained Gela Ubilava and Anzor Jologua in the village of Tagiloni and Irakli Kiuti in the village of Fichori. Six more people were arrested in Nabakevi because they did not have passports. One of the detainees, Kiuti, is already released; however, we do not know the fate of others.

Nato Berulava, Zugdidi