Kvemo Bargebi

Kvemo Bargebi ( _ab. Барҕьаҧ; _ka. ქვემო ბარღები) is a village in Gali district, Abkhazia (which is recognised by most other countries as part of Georgia). As is the case in the rest of the district its population is almost exclusively Mingrelian (Georgian).

In March 1995, the Abkhaz militias from the neighboring Ochamchira district raided Kvemo Bargebi, beat prisoners with rods, burned them with hot knives and bayonets, stabbed them, and set their bodies on fire.The Abkhaz militia killed 28 persons, most of whom were tortured to death. [ [http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/democracy/1995_hrp_report/95hrp_report_eur/Georgia.html Georgia Human Rights Practices, 1995] . The U.S. Department of State, March 1996.] In the following years, the Amnesty International and Georgia's Ombudsman's office accused the Abkhaz militia of several arbitrary detentions of ethnic Georgian villagers and other human rights abuses. [ [http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR56/002/1998/en/dom-EUR560021998en.html Georgia: Summary of Amnesty International's concerns] . Amnesty International, 1998.] [ [http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/2007/10/27070_en.pdf Report on the Violations of Human Rights in the Conflict Zones] . Georgia's Ombudsman's report/OSCE. October 4 2007.]

In 2007, the head of the village, ethnic Georgian Fridon Chakaberia was arrested by Georgian authorities when he came to Zugdidi, charged with trafficking of drugs and sentenced to 10 years of prison. According to the the Georgian opposition TV channel Imedi Chakaberia was convicted only because he was the official of Abkhazian government. [Civil.ge, [http://www.civil.ge/rus/article.php?id=13218 Альтернативная версия задержания П. Чакаберия от телекомпании «Имеди»] ("Imedi's alternative version of the release of Fridon Chakaberia"), 19.03.07 ru icon] Abkhazian officials also denied that he was guilty of any crimes and maintained that he was a political prisoner. Higher Georgian court later changed his sentence to 5 years probation and Chakaberia was able to return to Abkhazia and assume his duties. [Official site of the president of Abkhazia, [http://www.abkhaziagov.org/en/news/detail.php?ID=5363 Georgia released Fridon Chakaberia] , 23.04.2007]

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