In Abkhazia, a local Georgian-Abkhaz war veteran’s view on the Lata tragedy was called blasphemous
Yaganov on the Lata tragedy
The government and society of Abkhazia are outraged by comments made by Circassian activist Ibrahim Yaganov on the Lata tragedy — one of the most tragic episodes of the 1992–93 Georgian-Abkhaz war.
Yaganov fought in the war on the Abkhaz side, for which he was awarded the title “Hero of Abkhazia.” Now, many are calling for him to be stripped of this honor.
The “Lata tragedy” refers to the crash of a helicopter carrying Abkhaz refugees in December 1992, which killed 87 people, including 35 children. According to Abkhaz accounts, the helicopter was shot down by Georgian forces. Georgia rejects these claims, asserting that the disaster was caused by Russian military manipulations.
In the post-war years, former volunteer Yaganov has radically changed his views on Abkhazia, its relations with Russia, and the prospects for resolving the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict.
In particular, he believes that Abkhazia has failed as an independent state and risks eventually being fully absorbed by Russia. According to Yaganov, the only solution is for Abkhazia to reach an agreement with Georgia.
He has repeated this view for more than a decade, and in Abkhazia, his position on this issue has long stopped being taken “to heart.” However, the Lata tragedy – the topic he commented on this time – remains an extremely sensitive subject for Abkhaz society, and his assessment shocked even those who had been relatively tolerant of his evolving views.
Referring to the helicopter crash, Ibrahim Yaganov said:
“I have to admit that this helicopter could have been a military target, because humanitarian helicopters cannot be used for transporting soldiers or weapons. [Apparently] the Abkhaz side was transporting weapons and soldiers on this humanitarian helicopter, which is unacceptable during wartime. I am sure that the person who shot at this helicopter, if he had known there were children and women on board, probably would not have fired.”
In fact, there were three soldiers on the helicopter carrying refugees, in addition to women and children. However, according to the Abkhaz side, there was definitely no weapons on board. In Abkhazia, Yaganov’s words were seen as slander and a thinly veiled suggestion that the Abkhaz themselves were to blame for the tragedy.
Social media users unanimously called his statement blasphemous, differing only on how to respond. Some demand that Yaganov be stripped of the title “Hero of Abkhazia,” while others argue that, regardless of how his views have changed, this does not erase the military feats he accomplished.
Abkhazia’s President Badra Gunba also commented on the matter, calling Yaganov’s words “barbaric and heartless.”
“I believe that by his statements, Ibrahim Yaganov has desecrated the memory of innocently killed children, women, and the elderly, and wounded the soul of every citizen of Abkhazia. We are all mortal; one day the Almighty will take us all. What will Ibrahim Yaganov say to his fellow fighters, including the hundreds of our volunteer brothers, our angels who burned alive?” — said Gunba.
Yaganov currently lives in Poland, and the Russian Ministry of Justice has included him in its registry of foreign agents.
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