The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia considers it necessary to comment on the criminal case opened against Giorgi Baramidze, former Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister of Georgia in connection with his public statements regarding war crimes committed against the Abkhaz people during Georgia's armed aggression against the Republic of Abkhazia in 1992-1993.

The criminal case was initiated based on statements made by Giorgi Baramidze during a public discussion of the events of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict of 1992-1993. Touching on the topic of prisoner exchanges during this period, he stated that the Georgian side could not conduct the exchange because it had no Abkhaz prisoners. Specifically, he said: "We didn't have Abkhaz prisoners because we shot them." Following these statements, at the request of the Georgian State Service for Veterans' Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia launched an investigation into treason and sabotage.

It is clear that this criminal prosecution is intended to serve as a warning to anyone willing to speak openly about Georgia's armed aggression and the crimes committed during it.

For many years, the Republic of Abkhazia has consistently stated the need for these crimes to be recognized, fully investigated, and given a proper assessment under international law.

Instead of constructively and responsibly reflecting on past events, a portion of Georgian society continues to deny the crimes committed, cynically replacing them with politicized interpretations.

However, historical truth cannot be completely forgotten. Over time, objective assessments of events are increasingly being confirmed, including by that portion of Georgian society that demonstrates a willingness to acknowledge the mistakes made, including representatives of the Georgian political elite.

The decision by the Georgian Prosecutor General's Office to open a criminal case against Giorgi Baramidze, initiated by individuals whom the Abkhaz side holds responsible for unleashing the war against the Republic of Abkhazia and committing numerous crimes against the Abkhaz people is clearly politically motivated.

This decision represents an attempt to exert pressure on that segment of Georgian society that, decades later, demonstrates a willingness to objectively reflect on the tragic events of the past and acknowledge the crimes committed.

Attempts to restrict public discussion of historical facts are incapable of altering of historical memory and an objective assessment of the events that took place.

Such actions merely demonstrate the lack of readiness on the part of certain political forces in Georgia to openly and responsibly reflect on the events of 1992–1993.