10.2006 - Source: European Centre for Minority Issues

The Kists are concentrated in the Akhmeta district of Kakheti,where they make up 16.6% of the population; Kists are Muslims; most Kists speak fluent Georgian ("Implementing the Framework Convention for the Protection of Minorities in Georgia: A Feasibility Study") [ID 18124]

"The Kists are Vainakhs, originally from the northern Caucasus, who over the centuries arrived in parts of the Kakheti region of Georgia. The Kist population has fluctuated somewhat in recent years as there have been frequent waves of migration from Georgia to the Russian Federation and vice versa. Following the recent conflict in Chechnya, many Georgian Kists who had moved to Chechnya in the 1980s and early 1990s returned to Georgia. As a result, their population grew from 5,455 in 1989 to 7,110 (or 0.16% of the population) in 2002, according to census figures. The Kists are concentrated in the Akhmeta district of Kakheti, where they make up 16.6% of the population. They mainly live in the Pankisi Valley, and make up a majority of the population in the villages of Duisi, Tsinubani, Zemo Khalatsani, Kvemo Khalatsani, Shua Khalatsani and Joqolo. Kists are Muslims; traditionally they adhere to Sufism (albeit blended with elements of paganism), although a small minority (mainly young men) declare their allegiance to the Wahhabist sect of Sunni Islam. They speak a vernacular related to Chechen and Ingush, which belong to the northern Caucasian family of languages. There are no special Kist schools in Georgia and most Kists speak fluent Georgian, as well as their mother tongue. The most difficult issue for the Kist population is the threat of being stigmatised by the rest of the population for an assumed association with terrorism. The Pankisi Valley achieved notoriety in the early 2000s, when it was portrayed as a haven for terrorists. Although there is no evidence whatsoever linking the Kist population to terrorist attacks, the fact that a few of their number adhere to Wahhabism means that the whole community is viewed with suspicion by much of Georgia’s population."

Document(s): Open document

20.11.2002 - Source: Refugees International

Refugees International: Several thousand Chechen refugees escaped to Georgia; the majority, about 4,000, took refuge in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge ("Chechen Refugees in Georgia: Grateful, but Still Seeking Safety and Support") [#9697],  [ID 5091]

"Chechen refugees are very grateful to the Georgian people for sheltering them. "Georgia has saved thousands of lives. This is reality," reported one refugee. When armed hostilities broke out in Chechnya in the 1999, over 200,000 people fled their homes to neighboring republics. While the largest number of those who left Chechnya escaped to Ingushetia, several thousand crossed over the mountains into Georgia. The majority, about 4,000, took refuge in Georgia’s Pankisi Gorge area. An additional 250-300 individuals stay in Georgia’s capital city of Tbilisi. With violence continuing inside Chechnya, few refugees hope to return soon. Neither is the UN High Commissioner for Refugees supporting repatriation at this time. "We cannot go back until Russians stop torturing us just for being Chechens. Entire families are killed," displaced Chechens told Refugees International during a recent assessment. "It is ethnic cleansing. You cannot qualify it any other way."

Already struggling to support more than 350,000 displaced individuals from its own conflicts in Abkhasia and South Ossetia, Georgia has provided weak protection and material support for Chechen refugees. [...]
Chechens who fled to Georgia have many fears, including doubts about the governments ability and willingness to protect them, lack of access to employment and income generating activities, poor living conditions, lack of education and healthcare, including mental health services. [...]
Refugees repeat stories of how drugs are planted on Chechen males as they cross from the Gorge and then they are held for possession. The Gorge, refugees say, is unsafe. Children are scared to leave the house. "It’s like being in a prison."

The refugees are concerned about the lack of economic opportunity. There is little chance for employment, including few prospects for young people to use their skills. "Families get money where they can. Most live from month to month," reported one aid worker. [...]
Chechen refugees in Tbilisi face their own set of challenges. Like individuals in the Gorge, young men in Tbilisi are afraid of being sent back to Chechnya. They also face food problems, lack of medical care, clothing needs, and psychological stress. Unlike families in the Gorge, they receive no humanitarian aid. There are no discounts like those provided to Georgia’s displaced population. Few refugees are employed unless they have a position with an NGO that deals with Chechen refugees. Officially school is free, but in reality, they "make the kids pay something.""

Document(s): Open document