Tinatin Burdzuliani: "We expect a just and legal decision from the international court"

The UN international court in the Hague will soon publish a decision on the Georgian claim against Russia of violating the 1965 International  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). According to the Georgian authorities, Russia has been violating this
convention since 1990 by helping Abkhazian and Ossetian supporters of
independence to organize ethnic purges against the Georgian populations of the former autonomies. Russia considers these accusations to be farfetched.

Russia says that the subjects of the conflict were Georgia and its national minorities (Abkhazians and Ossetians) and not Moscow andTbilisi, so the international court cannot examine this request. In any caseTbilisi is sure that Russia has to take responsibility for ethnicpurges, as defined in the convention of 1965, as Moscow helped theAbkhazians and  Ossetians fight for independence. International law considers discrimination on the basis of skin colour, together with ethnic origin, as racial discrimination. VK spoke to the head of the Georgian delegation at the court, the deputy justice minister Tinatin Burdzuliani, about the prospects for the claim:

-       What can the international court decide? What does Georgiaexpect from it?

-       The UN international court can examine cases of international law

and can make countries pay restitution or compensation.
However, in this case it is not compensation that is important for us.
We want the
court to stop Russia discriminating against Georgians on the territory of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia on the basis of their ethnic origin. Russia has to
stop discriminating, both directly and with the help of de facto puppet
regimes. We also ask the court to order Russia to stop interfering in
the process of the return of refugees and eliminate the factors
preventing this process.
-       Why is Georgia only raising this question now?

-        In 2006, when Moscow deported ethnic Georgians on the pretext of astruggle against illegal migration, Georgia brought a suit against Russia to the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. That is a different procedure. Legally, it is not linked with the International Court, but it demonstrates that Georgia has already paid attention to this problem. But of course the suit on deportations is another illustration of the anti-Georgian policy implemented by Russia since 1990. In this way Russiaviolated international law.

-       Is this request related with the UN resolution on the Georgian
refugees' right to return to the territory of former residence?
-       This resolution is very important, as by that the world community

again confirms the right of refugees to return home, the illegality of
property disposal and the change of an ethnic situation by use of force.

-       What arguments does Georgia have?

-       Georgia has given to the International Court irrefutable proof of
Russian responsibility for ethnic discrimination against Georgians in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We expect that, based on these facts, the court will come to a just and legal decision.

Interviewed by Georgy Kalatozishvili. Exclusively for VK.