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“People Constantly Detained When Conflict Situation Escalates in South Ossetia”

July 28, 2008

Nona Suvariani, Tbilisi

Georgians and Ossetians have moved to the next stage of conflict escalation, which is connected to the recent detention of various persons. The detentions were illegally carried out.  However, in spite of all recriminations, those on both sides that were detained for serious allegations have been since released. What does this mean? Why do both conflict sides detain people and release them later? 

On July 20, 2008, the separatist armed forces detained Teimuraz Gogitashvili, who lives in the village of Nikozi in the South Ossetian conflict zone. In response, the Georgian law enforcers then detained Zaur Khubaiv, Alikhan Khubaev, Gela Sanakoev and Soslan Siukaev, four Ossetians on that very same day. However, the Georgian side only shared official information about their detention the next day.

“We can confirm that we did detain those individuals and they had been suspected of committing various crimes, including drug related violations,” stated Shota Utiashvili, the head of Information-Analytical Department of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Ossetians state that their “citizens were abducted for revenge” in response to the fact that Ossetians detained Temur Goginashvili, a Georgian citizen.  Mindzaev, the head of so-called Minister of Internal Affairs of South Ossetia stated that Goginashvili would be released upon the completion of an investigation. “The Georgian side states that if we do not release Goginashvili they Georgian citizens captured by the South Ossetians will be tortured.  How can we release Goginashvili. He is a criminal who used to kill people with blow touches. Those four people the Georgian side has detained are totally innocent. The Georgian side says they will put drugs to our citizens and say that they were detained for drug related crimes.”

Even though the Ossetians have alleged that Goginashvili was a dangerous criminal, they released him on July 24, 2008. Gori District Court also released Soslan Siukaev and Zaur Khubaev on July 23 but under the guarantee of a bond of 2 000 GEL. The other two Ossetians were charged for illegal carrying of drugs.
“Not long before the Georgians detained four Ossetians the so called Ossetian law enforcers had arrested Teimuraz Goginashvili, who was an innocent man. However, we are not planning to make any exchanges. We will try to release Goginashvili using other methods,” stated Shota Utiashvili, the head of Information-Analytical Department of MIA a little earlier the criminals were released.

These two facts of arresting alleged criminals have many coincidences, which raises suspicion that they were detained in a show of power, which is being done on both sides and has nothing to doe with actual crimes committed. Such a perspective is further supported in light of the fact that the various so-called “criminals” were soon released and the motive for setting them free is not clear at this time.

Mamuka Areshidze, an independent conflict resolution expert considers that such actions carried out on both sides are most likely attributed to shared irritation over the situation. People are always being detained and abducted. However, when the conflict situation is escalated, the frequency of incidents of abduction and detention becomes more and more frequent. There is a degree of method in the consistency of such actions by both sides: there exists the tendency is to detain people and to thus demonstrate who can show off the power – no one side has a monopoly on such behavior.

Mamuka adds, “This process has become intensive since an article on the “secret plan of Georgians” was first published in Nezavisimaia Gazeta and the Russian business journal Komersant, following the arrival the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Georgia, Matthew Bryza the assistant to Deputy Secretary of State heated up the situation with his trip  Sokhumi. The situation was further stirred when Dmitri Sanakoev, the Georgian government approved head of Tskhinvali Region Interim Administration. He was allegedly attacked on July 3 by South Ossetian separatists.”

This attempt on his life was reported as a close call in the Georgian media. Following this event, various instances of people being detained in succession followed one another. First it was the Ossetian side that arrested four Georgians. The unfortunate Georgians had gone to a feast in the village and ended up lost on their way back. They found themselves in front of a Russian block post in the conflict zone. It did not help matter that they had an argument with the Russian soldiers. They were treated terribly. However, in the end they returned to Georgia with the charges of violating Ossetian state border. Every citizen who lives or moves in the conflict zone can be charged for this “crime” any time. The Georgians did the same thing after a while. They arrested 4 men for drug selling. Then Ossetians arrested and so on… This is typical for escalated situation in the conflict zone. Moreover, apart from arrests there are instances of disregard, humiliation.”
Mamuka Areshidze notes that sometimes people are arrested under the guise of special operations. Many Georgian young people go to the conflict zone for the purpose of buying drugs. Moreover, he says that it clear that  people are released when some forces interfere in the case, as in for all practical purposes that the forces involved do not actually want to escalate the conflict.

“Every time Ossetians have arrested Georgians, Marat Kulakhmetov, the commander of joint peacekeeping forces operating in the conflict zone interfered and the Georgians were subsequently released. Kulakhmetov wants there are no problems in the conflict zone.  As the peacekeepers do not actually control the situation in the conflict zone, they want to justify their presence in the conflict zone with participating at least in solving this kind of problems. They have been trying to calm down the situation recently, especially in Tskhinvali region. However, the Russians did not interfere when Georgians and Ossetians directed rains of bullets against each other after Sanakoev attacked by some power.  This has been the usual case as they used to give their military positions to Ossetians before the heating up of some situation. Nonetheless, there have been some cases where they actively took part in shooting themselves. Now they do not interfere and try to demonstrate they are unbiased side – a neutral stakeholder. Sometimes the personal character of the person plays some greater role. I mean Kulakhmetov; he has grown tired of endless conflict and mutual accusations and recriminations on all sides. Despite everything, it is clear that both side share in the blame for what is going on in the region,” concludes Areshidze.
 

 

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