Doc. 9510

8 July 2002

The plight of the deported Meskhetian population

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Cilevičs and others

1.       The Meskhetians deported from Georgia by Stalin’s regime in 1944, remain the only group who still today, eleven years after the collapse of the Soviet regime, have obtained no opportunity to return to their homeland nor to be granted the status of victims of repressions.

2.       At the end of the 1980s, Meskhetians became the victims of violent ethnic conflicts in central Asia, and were displaced once again. Thus, these people have been in fact deported twice.

3.       Upon accession to the Council of Europe, Georgia had undertaken a commitment “to adopt, within two years after its accession, a legal framework permitting repatriation and integration, including the right to Georgian nationality, for the Meskhetian population deported by the Soviet regime, to consult the Council of Europe about this legal framework before its adoption, to begin the process of repatriation and integration within three years after its accession and complete the process of repatriation of the Meskhetian population twelve years after its accession” (Opinion No. 209, 1999).

4.       However, implementation of this commitment was substantially delayed. In Resolution 1257 (2001) “Honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia”, the Assembly urged Georgia “to accelerate the work undertaken with the Council of Europe and the UNHCR on the question of the repatriation of the deported Meskhetian population, including ongoing legal expertise of the draft law “on repatriation of persons deported from Georgia in the 1940s by the Soviet regime”, with a view to granting them the same rehabilitation as that already given to deportees of other ethnicities who were repatriated to Georgia under the Soviet regime”. Regrettably, little progress has been recorded in the implementation of this resolution so far.

5.       Moreover, the deported Meskhetians found themselves the target of the harassment and persecution campaign launched by the local authorities of the Krasnodar krai of the Russian Federation – a region where many Meskhetians ended up after the last displacement. In Resolution 1277 (2002) “Honouring of obligations and commitments by the Russian Federation”, the Assembly expressed “its consternation following the measures taken by the Krasnodar authorities with a view to the expulsion of the Meskhetian population from Russian territories”, and expected “the authorities of the Russian Federation to seek a permanent solution by means of dialogue with the Meskhetians concerned and the authorities of Georgia”.

6.       Therefore, the Assembly considers the restoration of the legitimate rights of the deported Meskhetians as a matter of high priority on the Assembly’s agenda, and expresses its strong intention to provide all necessary advice and assistance to the authorities of Georgia in order to ensure, without further delay, the repatriation of all deported Meskhetians who wish to be repatriated, as well as access to citizenship, recognition as victims of political repressions, and necessary assistance to these persons.

Signed (see overleaf):

Signed : ¹

Cilevičs, Latvia, SOC

Akselsen, Norway, SOC

Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR

Einarsson, Sweden, UEL

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Hegyi, Hungary, SOC

Jakič, Slovenia, LDR

Jařab, Czech Republic, LDR

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Kovalev S., Russia, LDR

Laakso, Finland, UEL

Lippelt, Germany, LDR

Lloyd, United Kingdom, SOC

Lörcher, Germany, SOC

McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC

Mutman, Turkey, SOC

Pollozhani, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, EDG

Sağlam, Turkey, EPP

Telek, Turkey, EDG

Vermot-Mangold, Switzerland, SOC

Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP

Yarygina, Russia, SOC

Yürür, Turkey, EDG

Zwerver, Netherlands, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group