A/HRC/36/65
75.
The Office of the Public Defender reported that school administrators and parents in
Gali district had opposed this policy, to no avail. Various sources consider that shifting to
Russian-language teaching has seriously reduced the quality of education in the regions of
Abkhazia populated by ethnic Georgians (i.e. Gali district, and parts of Ochamchire and
Tkvarcheli districts), since most children, teachers and parents lack sufficient knowledge in
Russian. According to several sources, teachers and schoolchildren continue to unofficially
use the Georgian language in schools but have been under increasing pressure to use
Russian. Reportedly, there is a tendency for families to move their children to the territory
controlled by the Government of Georgia in order to enable them to receive education in
their native language.
76.
Reportedly, Armenians and Russians in Abkhazia have been receiving education in
their native languages, while children of Georgian ethnic origin have been facing further
limitations every year on exercising the same right or are unable to do so. Such a policy
would be discriminatory towards children of Georgian ethnic origin.
77.
OHCHR has been informed that there have been no restrictions in Akhalgori district
on education in Georgian. While Russian and Ossetian are considered as the only “official”
languages in South Ossetia, Georgian is authorized in areas where the majority of people
speak it. OHCHR has been informed that 6 out of 11 public schools in Akhalgori region in
South Ossetia are Georgian and that the students are instructed in their native language, in
accordance with the programme adopted by the Ministry of Education and Science of
Georgia.
10.
Personal documents
78.
OHCHR has not been in a position to assess the impact of various regulations,
regimes and practices issued by the authorities in control regarding possession of personal
documents in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, beyond aspects presented in the latest report of
the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on the status of internally displaced persons
and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia
(A/71/899). These include the so-called “Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners in
Abkhazia”, the so-called “Law on Procedures of Exit from the Republic of Abkhazia and
the Entry into the Republic of Abkhazia”, “No. 9” documents (temporary identification
documents) and new crossing documents (propuski), as well as “passports” issued by the
authorities in control in South Ossetia. Documents issued by the authorities in control in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been considered null and void by the Government of
Georgia.
79.
Constraints and ambiguities surrounding the issue of personal documents affect the
ability of ethnic Georgians primarily, including returnees, to enjoy their human rights, and
further exacerbate their vulnerability. The lack of necessary documents hampers the
enjoyment of a number of human rights, including property rights, and freedom of
movement, and creates difficulties for the affected population to register births or regulate
their civil status. Any type of documentation, even basic or temporary, needs to facilitate
access to social, economic, cultural, civil and political rights.
11.
Property issues
80.
Under article 17 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the
right to own property, alone as well as in association with others, and no one is to be
arbitrarily deprived of such property.
81.
UNHCR has been advocating with the authorities in control in Abkhazia and South
Ossetia to uphold the rights of ethnic Georgian returnees, notably in relation to
documentation and freedom of movement.
82.
The restitution of housing, land and property left behind by internally displaced
persons or the provision of appropriate compensation in lieu of restitution remains a serious
challenge that needs to be addressed. The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of
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