Georgia Calls on Russia to Stop Destroying Cultural Monuments

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) says the Russian Federation is destroying Georgian cultural monuments on the territories of the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The MFA has released a statement which says that, according to Russian and Abkhaz sources, on January 3, the Russian occupation forces in Abkhazia region destroyed a multi-layer archeological and architectural monument during the construction works of a military polygon in Tsebelda village, Gulripshi District. Within the work area were a VIII-IX century and late Middle Ages settlement, tombs, ruins of a church, and a Polish graveyard of the mid-XX century.

The MFA condemns this latest fact of damage to monuments of Georgia’s historical and cultural heritage by the occupation regime as an act directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and calls on the Russian Federation to desist from the practice of destroying Georgian cultural monuments in the occupied territories.

“This illegal act once again demonstrates the grave military and humanitarian situation in the occupied territories of Georgia,” the MFA statement reads.

Moreover, the MFA underlines that the intentional damage carried out by Russia on monuments of cultural heritage violates the provisions of the International Humanitarian Law, notably the 1954 Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, as well as the principles of the 2003 UNESCO Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage.

The Ministry is calling on the international community, UNESCO and other international organizations to properly assess the illegal actions of the Russian Federation and take necessary measures to protect historical and cultural heritage in the occupied territories of Georgia.

Georgia’s President, Giorgi Margvelashvili, also condemned Russia’s actions.

“We express our extreme concern over the destruction of the historical monuments in Tsebelda village by the occupation forces of the Russian Federation. This is a deliberate act of vandalism, which violates international law, including the norms of the 1954 Hague Convention,” the President’s statement reads.

The Sputnik news agency reports that Russia’s Defense Ministry has denied all allegations over the issue.

"We were surprised by the remarks. No construction or any other work in the interest of Russia's 7th military base has been carried out or planned in the village of Tsebelda," the Russian Defense Ministry claims.

Thea Morrison