04.12.2006 - Source: UK Home Office

Government limits political participation of Russians and other ethnic minorities who do not speak Georgian; for serving on the Central Election Commission a candidate must speak Georgian; some government materials available only in Georgian ("Operational Guidance Note: Georgia") [ID 20295]

"The government generally respected the rights of ethnic minorities in non conflict areas during 2005 but limited self-government. The law stipulates that Georgian is the state language. Ethnic Armenians, Azeris, Greeks, Abkhaz, Ossetians, and Russians usually communicated in their native languages or in Russian. However, new requirements for serving on the Central Election Commission (CEC) mandated that a candidate must speak Georgian, thereby effectively excluding many citizens who do not speak the language. Some government materials distributed to the public were only available in the Georgian language."

Document(s): Open document

11.10.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Several ethnic Russians interviewed for a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) article stated that their lives were not affected by the tensions; they denied suffering any mistreatment by ethnic Georgians ("Ethnic Russians Feel Insulated From Tensions") [ID 20296]

For documentation of individual cases please refer to the original document

Document(s): Open document

16.08.2001 - Source:

University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Risk Assessment ("16.08.2001 - University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Risk Assessment") [ID 5073]

"Russians in Georgia are unlikely to initiate political action or to face repression from the various Georgian governments in the near future. They are not highly organized, nor do they have a strong, cohesive group identity. There is no history of rebellion by ethnic Russians, nor significant conflict between Russians and the other groups in Georgia, nor repression by the various de facto Georgian regional governments.
However, fortunes can change quickly in the Caucasus. Continuing violence in Chechnya has the potential to destabilize almost any government in the region. Russia has repeatedly accused Georgia of supporting the rebels by hosting paramilitary Islamic units in its territory just across the Georgian-Russian border. In turn, Tblisi has accused Russia of bombing Georgian villages located near the Chechen border. Both sides signed an agreement in 1999 to send Russian border troops to patrol the Georgian-Chechen border, which has the potential to aggravate Russian-Georgian relations.
A renewal of warfare in either of Georgia's breakaway republics may also endanger the welfare of ethnic Russians in Georgia, depending on how Moscow responds to the conflicts. Georgia has (justifiably) accused Russia of supporting the Abkhaz and South Ossetians in an effort to exercise leverage over Tblisi. Ethnic Russians in Georgia may find themselves victims of larger geopolitical contests that are being played out in the Caucasus.
The ultimate guarantor of the safety of the Russians in Georgia, as well as in all the other former Soviet states, is the Russian military presence just hours away. Moscow's concern for its kindred minorities abroad has been high, and as long as it remains so, the likelihood of large-scale mistreatment by Georgia of its Russian minority is fairly remote."

Document(s): 16.08.2001 - University of Maryland - Minorities at Risk: Risk Assessment

25.05.2000 - Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services

Query response on treatment of ethnic Russians ("Information on the Treatment of Ethnic Russians [GGA00001.ZNY]") [#48925],  [ID 5074]

Document(s): Open document