Ioseliani played a major role in the disastrous attempt to enforce Georgian rule in the separatist province of Abkhazia, which ended in a crushing defeat for government and Mkhedrioni forces in August–September 1993. Despite this, he was given a formal government position in September 1993 to enforce a national state of emergency. This gave him almost unlimited powers to detain people. He used these powers enthusiastically, imposing a severely repressive regime that was widely criticised by international human rights organisations. Supporters of the ousted Gamsakhurdia were vigorously targeted, especially in the pro-Gamsakhurdia region of Samegrelo in western Georgia, where the Mkhedrioni were accused of carrying out a number of extrajudicial killings. There were also widespread allegations that Ioseliani and his supporters were systematically "taxing" businesses and individuals in areas under their control.
