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Tskhinvali De-Facto Government Demands to Release the Convicted for Terrorist Act in Gori

December 8, 2009

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori

“Popular topic – Georgian children are captured in the prison of South Ossetia – has been resolved!” said Boris Chochiev, representative of the de-facto government of South Ossetia in post-conflict issues. He said the international community will not speak about the detention of underage children because 17-year-old Viktor Buchukuri and 16-year-old people are in the Tskhinvali custody now. 14-year-old Giorgi Romelashvili and Aleko Tsabadze, arrested on November 4, are already released.

The fate of two adults from Tirdznisi village will be resolved before December 12. Human Rights Commissionaire of the Council of Europe Thomas Hammarberg stated that despite the decision of Tskhinvali court, Buchukuri and Khmiadashvili will be set free within 10 days. The Tskhinvali de-facto court sentenced them to one-year imprisonment.

Apparently, the conditions of the release, which were told to Thomas Hammarberg in Tskhinvali, shall be discussed within 10 days. Boris Chochiev stated in his interview with the newspaper “South Ossetia” that Georgian side has not kept the promise given last year. “Last year we requested release of three Ossetian people who were arbitrarily arrested for terrorist act in Gori. We also spoke about Marek Dudaev. However, we were told they would agree this issue with the president of Georgia and Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II. Long time has passed since then and the president of Georgia has not pardoned the prisoners yet.”

Tskhinvali de-facto government is concerned about activities of European institutions which usually promptly respond to every complaints of Georgian side.

“Our human rights defender Davit Sanakoev sent video-materials to European institutions 6 months ago which demonstrate how three Ossetian people were arrested on Khelchua road. Despite that, nobody reacted on the fact while European commissionaire immediately arrived in Georgia after Georgian MP condemned his inactivity,” said Boris Chochiev.

One of 5 Ossetian detainees, who were released on December 2, Pavle Tekhov said he saw 11 Ossetian prisoners in Tbilisi Prison. “I saw them when representatives of Red Cross visited us,” said Pavle Tekhov to the newspaper “South Ossetia.”

Reportedly, on October 12, 2008 35-year-old Ibragim Laliev, 35-year-old Lavrenti Kaziev, 68-year-old Iakob Tekhov and 41-year-old Pavle Tekhov were arrested on Korkula-Khelchua and Khelchua-Disevi road; 36-year-old Vladimer Fedoev was arrested near Orchosani village on April 31, 2009.

Boris Chochiev said he handed list of 35 people to Thomas Hammarberg to take it to Georgian side.

“We detained about 80 ethnic Georgians on our territory and then set them free. In reply to our action, we receive aggression from Georgian side,” said Chochiev.

Apparently, the de-facto government is particularly interested in release of the convicted people for the terrorist act in Gori; they are Valiev, Zasiev and Kochiev. They also request the release for Marek Dudaev, who was convicted for grave crimes.

Official position of the Georgian side about these issues is not known yet. Reportedly, the convicted people for the terrorist act in Gori are sentenced to life-imprisonment; Marek Dudaev is put in prison for 23 years. Until now, government of Georgia called these people criminals. Official Tbilisi never intended to use them in bargains but what will happen within ten days is still unclear.

Ossetian side cannot forget disappearance of three more people. They are: 17-year-old Alan Khachirov, 20-year-old Alan Khugaev and 26-year-old Soltan Piliev. “They were arrested on Khelchua road on October 13, 2008 too,” claims the Tskhinvali side. The relatives of missing people handed video-materials to Thomas Hammarberg which show that certain people stopped the three young men and started to interrogate them.

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