The Georgian Coalition for International Criminal Court (GCICC) welcomes the decision of the board of directors of the ICC Trust Fund for Victims regarding starting of assistance mandate for the support of victims of the 2008 August War.

12 Years since the August War, the victims live in unbearable socio-economic conditions in the places of resettlement and near the administrative boundary line. The grave housing conditions, the non-existence of the employment opportunities, impossibility of agricultural work, lack of medical services, lack of income generating activities and educational opportunities are especially problematic. Covid-19 pandemic further aggravated the existing conditions. The worsened conditions revive the traumas of the 2008 August War. The report published by the Georgian Coalition for ICC “10 Years after the August War – Victims of the Situation in Georgia describes the problems that victims come across in their daily life in detail.

In order to advocate for the solution of the problems revealed as a result of the report, the GCICC held numerous meetings with the ICC Trust Fund for Victims. As a result, the Trust Fund started to assess the situation of the victims. The assessment aimed to reveal as to what kind of harm the victims suffered as a result of the August War and what impact it had on their current state. During this period, the GCICC actively cooperated with the Trust Fund and provided information for the relevant assessment of the current state of the victims.

The Trust Fund for Victims decided to start assistance mandate in Georgia after the completion of the assessment, on November 10, 2020. This information became known to wider society on December 1, 2020. According to the information disseminated by the Trust Fund, the program is addressed for victims of the 2008 August War who live in the IDP settlements, as well as those living on both sides of the administrative boundary line. The program covers several types of assistance, including, medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation and material support for the improvement of the livelihood conditions. This program will be implemented for 3 years at this stage. According to the Trust Fund, additional detailed information regarding the program will be published after the consultation with the government of Georgia, civil society and the victims of the August War.

The GCICC welcomes the decision of the Trust Fund for Victims and considers that in this situation, the starting of concrete assistance programs for the victims has substantial meaning for easing their hard livelihood.

The GCICC expresses readiness to continue active cooperation with the ICC Trust Fund and promote timely and effective implementation of the assistance mandate.

The member organizations of GCICC:

Georgian Center for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT)

Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA)

Human Rights Center

Rights Georgia

Justice International