2006 deportation of Georgians from Russia

Deaths and allegations of mistreatment

The spree of arrests and deportations of ethnic Georgians in Russia was marred by allegations of grave human rights violations. Two Georgians died in Moscow while in custody. Tenghiz Togonidze, a 48-year-old migrant worker died of acute asthma in a Moscow airport as he was awaiting deportation. According to the Georgian Embassy in Moscow, Togonidze was denied medical attention for five days of detention despite his requests to see a doctor. The Russian authorities say everything possible was done for Togonidze. Manana Jabelia, a Georgian national living in Russia since the war in Abkhazia, died of a heart attack in Moscow while in custody following her detention for allegedly not having any identity or immigration papers. At the time, her passport was pending renewal at the Georgian consulate in Moscow.

International reaction

On 1 October 2007, the Human Rights Watch released a report on Georgian immigrants in Russia, which documented "the Russian government's arbitrary and illegal detention and expulsion of Georgians, including many who legally lived and worked in Russia," and that following the growing political tensions between Russia and Georgia, "Russian authorities began a widespread crackdown on ethnic Georgians, Georgian nationals, and Georgian-owned or Georgian-themed businesses and organizations... Senior government officials disparaged Georgians openly on government-owned TV, and much of Russia's government-friendly TV and other media followed suit... Police and other authorities denied basic rights to many of the detained" and underscored that "the Russian government's campaign against Georgians occurred in the context of pervasive racism and xenophobia in Russia."

In its January 2007 report, Freedom House concluded that the Russian authorities "tolerated and encouraged the mistreatment of immigrants from Georgia and other Caucasus countries."

Legal proceedings

Georgia sued Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), demanding that Moscow reimbursed pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. On 3 July 2009, the ECHR declared that it found Georgia's complaints against Russia over deportations admissible for hearing and would deliver its judgment "at a later date".

In 2014, the European Court finally ruled that Russia's action's in 2006 were in violation of the European Court of Human Rights and gave Moscow 12 months to negotiate with Georgia the precise terms of compensation for damages incurred by the Georgian citizens; in 2015 Georgia officially requested in excess of 70 million Euros for the victims.

In January 2019, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that as a result of the 2014 verdict, and upon Georgia's 2015 application for damage compensation, Russia has to pay 10 million Euros to Georgia. As of December 2020, Russia has not yet issued compensations to the deportees. On 4 December 2020, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe called on the Russian authorities to "either directly pay the just satisfaction and the interest accrued to the Government of Georgia, or to commit to using the Council of Europe as an intermediary for that payment."

References

• Georgia deportees describe ordeal. BBC News. 6 October 2006.

References

1. (6 October 2006). "Georgians deported as row deepens". BBC.
2. (7 October 2006). "Georgia chides Russia 'cleansing'". BBC.
3. [http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/09/30/russia16977.htm Russia Targets Georgians for Expulsion] {{Webarchive. link. (2 October 2007 . The Human Rights Watch. 1 October 2007.)
4. Узел, Кавказский. "«Мемориал» требует прекратить кампанию против уроженцев Грузии".
5. "Civil Georgia {{!}} «Эхо Москвы» начинает кампанию «Я грузин»".
6. Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. [http://www.rferl.org/content/georgia-russia-expulsions-human-rights/25444207.html European Court Condemns Russia For 2006 Expulsion Of Georgians], 3 July 2014
7. Civil Georgia, [http://old.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=28406 After Winning Case at ECHR, Georgia Asks Russia to Pay EUR 70.3m], 3 July 2015
8. Civil Georgia, [https://civil.ge/archives/275298 ECHR: Russia to Pay 10 Million Euros to Georgia over 2006 Deportations], 31 January 2019
9. (18 October 2006). "Georgian Awaiting Deportation Dies". [[The Moscow Times]].
10. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6058410.stm Georgian deportee dies in Moscow]. ''BBC''
11. "?".
12. [http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/press_release/fiw07_overview_final.pdf ''FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2007:FREEDOM STAGNATION AMID PUSHBACK AGAINST DEMOCRACY''] {{webarchive. link. (27 September 2007 , The [[Freedom House]]. Retrieved on 22 January 2007.)
13. [[European Court of Human Rights]], [http://www.echr.coe.int/ECHR/EN/Header/Press/Links/Archived+news/ArchivesNews_2009.htm Archived news 2009]
14. [https://old.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=21198 ECHR to Hear Georgia vs. Russia Case]. ''Civil Georgia''. 4 July 2009
15. Civil Georgia, [https://old.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=28406 After Winning Case at ECHR, Georgia Asks Russia to Pay EUR 70.3m], 3 July 2015
16. (4 December 2020). "CoE 'Strongly Urges' Russia to Compensate Georgian Deportation Victims". Civil Georgia.