Georgia president condemns destruction of Polish cemetery in Abkhazia
PR dla Zagranicy
Paweł Kononczuk
12.01.2017 12:45
The president of Georgia has accused Moscow of a “deliberate act of vandalism” after reports that Russians destroyed a historic Polish church and bulldozed a nearby cemetery in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia.
Photo: pixabay.com
Georgian President Georgy Margvelashvili said in a statement: "In order to build a military training ground for the armed forces of the Russian Federation, a 19th-century church and historic Polish cemetery was destroyed.
“This is a deliberate act of vandalism, which violates the provisions of international law, including the Hague Convention of 1954."
Margvelashvili called on the international community and UNESCO to intervene over what he described as "illegal actions by the occupying forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Georgia."
The "Echo of the Caucasus" website reported that the Polish cemetery and church were established at the end of the 19th century near the village of Cabal.
A local official told reporters that a large group of Poles lived in the area in the 19th century.
Polish Radio reported that on 3 January, the construction of a new military training ground started at the site. Bulldozers rolled in, destroying the remains of the church, as well as the cemetery, where Poles are buried.
(pk)
Source: Polish Radio