10:15, 24 August 2010

Refugees from Abkhazia go on hunger strike in Tbilisi

In protest against forced eviction and resettlement to other regions of Georgia from Tbilisi, several refugees from Abkhazia went on hunger strike near the building of the European Commission's representative office. The United Nations' High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed his regret on the occasion of the event.

Some of the hunger-strikers refugees have sewn up their mouths; and one woman has threatened to crucify herself at the residence of President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili, if she is not left to live in the building of former hospital, the Radio Liberty reports.

At this background, the UNHCR made a special statement, expressing regret in the context of latest evictions of forced migrants from their collective residence centres in Tbilisi.

"The eviction process goes without due transparency and informing the refugees," runs the statement as quoted by the IA "News-Georgia".

The UNHCR notes that they render help to more than 355,000 persons in Georgia.