Georgia holds funeral for Abkhazian war victims decades after their death

A solemn farewell ceremony was held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi as Georgia laid to rest another group of soldiers and civilians who perished in the Abkhazian war of the early 1990s.

Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Ilia II, expressed sorrow that the families of the deceased had only now been given the chance to honour their loved ones.

“The burial of soldiers and citizens who died in Abkhazia in the 90s of the last century has already taken place several times. Today, we are saying goodbye to another part of those who died in the Abkhazian war,” the Patriarch said. “Unfortunately, our relatives and we have only now had the opportunity to pay our respects to them.”

Among those commemorated were Jambul Berulava, Giorgi Gabroshvili, Amiran Megrelishvili, Nodar Beria, Gia Dzagnidze, and Guju Darjania.

“May the Most Holy Trinity grant eternal rest to the immortal souls of the righteous and grant the strength of prayer to their family members, friends and supporters,” Ilia II’s condolence letter read.

The remains of those honoured had been recovered from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region after years of uncertainty. The conflict in Abkhazia, which erupted in 1992, resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians. The fate of many who went missing during the fighting remains unknown.