Emzar Kvitsiani: Difference between revisions

After the [[War in Abkhazia (1992–1993)|secessionist war]] broke out in Abkhazia in 1992, Kvitsiani organized a militia force of several hundred fighters named ''Monadire'' ("the Hunter") in the upper Kodori valley in order to fend off the Abkhaz threat. He succeeded in keeping the strategically crucial gorge under the control of his militia after the retreat of the Georgian forces from Abkhazia in 1993, though militia in the area reportedly also demanded money and possessions from fleeing civilians, in exchange for passage.<ref name="MartenBook" /> Following the war, Kvitsiani maintained nominal dependence on the central government of Georgia. The then-[[President of Georgia]] [[Eduard Shevardnadze]] attempted to channel Kvitsiani's activities into the legal framework of the Georgian state apparatus. Kvitsiani was appointed deputy special state envoy to the Kodori valley in 1997 and then special state envoy to that area in 2000. He and his men entertained good relations with the Abkhaz people despite numerous skirmishes and incidents occurring over the years. According to his own claims, Abkhaz representatives occasionally tried to persuade him to sign a four-sided treaty that would effectively transfer control of the valley over to the Sukhumi administration. Kvitsiani however always refused and also countered various armed incursions, mostly in a pacifying manner.<ref name="patriots.ge"/> He earned the Abkhazians respect by treating prisoners well and in some cases even releasing them with their arms returned. In 1998, his militia was made a special battalion of the [[Georgian Armed Forces]], but the government had little control of it.<ref name=civil26993>{{cite news|title=Wanted Ex-Warlord Arrested on Arrival in Tbilisi|url=http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=26993|accessdate=1 March 2014|newspaper=[[Civil Georgia]]|date=28 February 2014}}</ref><ref name=lenta/> In 2004 on behalf of the Georgian government Emzar Kvitsiani was also engaged and partially responsible in convincing the Abkhazians to clear minefields that were deployed during the war. In return minefields laid by the Georgian army would be removed as well.<ref>http://www.landmine.de/archiv/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/news/news-detailseite/article/georgia-abkhazia-ageree-to-demine-kodori-gorge.html</ref>

Kvitsiani's role in the abduction of the [[United Nations]] and Georgian officials in Kodori in the 1990s, the [[2001 Kodori crisis]], and various supposed criminal activities in the region have been disputed.<ref name=lenta/><ref name="Marten"/> Lacking any legal basis the Saakashvili regime was only able to condemn him on charges of mutiny and the illegal formation of armed groups which later lead to his conviction.<ref>http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=28008</ref> During the [[Rose Revolution]] in Georgia in November 2003, he was in [[Tbilisi]] and supported Shevardnadze, after whose abdication, Kvitsiani was removed from his official position by the new President [[Mikheil Saakashvili]] in December 2004, while his unit was declared disbanded in April 2005. Kvitsiani defied the move and, on July 22, 2006, declared disobedience to the government of Georgia. In an [[2006 Kodori crisis|ensuing crisis]], the Georgian forces moved in into the valley and besieged Kvitsiani in Chkhalta. The "Hunter" group offered almost overwhelming resistance as primarily US -trained special troops deployed by the government were not able to gain the upper hand.<ref>http://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-kvitsiani-russia/26818432.html</ref> During a crossfire, a local woman was killed. To avoid further casualties, Kvitsiani and the remnant of his followers were allowed through a military cordon.<ref>{{cite news|title=Officials Visit Kodori|url=http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15499|accessdate=1 March 2014|newspaper=Civil Georgia|date=26 July 2007}}</ref> Georgia set up a local administration of the valley under the aegis of the [[Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia]], but [[Battle of the Kodori Valley|lost control]] over it during the August 2008 [[Russia–Georgia war]].<ref name="Marten"/><ref>{{cite news|last=Owen|first=Elizabeth|title=Georgia: Abkhazia Reasserts Control over Upper Kodori Gorge|url=http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav101608.shtml|accessdate=1 March 2014|date=October 15, 2008|agency=EurasiaNet}}</ref> Kvitsiani has repeatedly stressed and maintains to this date that the former Georgian [[United National Movement (Georgia)|leadership]] under grip of powerful outside influence has purposefully worked towards handing over the KodoryKodori valley and that it was their plan all along.

After his ouster from the Kodori valley, Kvitsiani eventually fled to [[North Caucasus]] Russia, from where he issued threats of guerrilla warfare to the Georgian government.<ref name="Marten"/> Later caught by Russian special services he managed to escape after reportedly being tortured. He remained wanted by Georgia for charges related to the formation of an illegal armed group and an armed mutiny.<ref name=civil26993/> His sister, Nora Kvitsiani, was arrested on similar charges and sentenced 6.5 years in prison, but she was released after the change of government in Georgia in October 2012.<ref name=lenta/>