Mari Otarashvili
Ethnically Ossetian hostages, who were compelled to plead guilty by the Georgian side two weeks ago, were captured for “illegal crossing of border” and “illegal possession of weapon.” Later, Georgian side expressed a kind will and set them free. European Human Rights Commissionaire Thomas Hammarberg played active role in their release. The released prisoners stated in their interviews with the media sources and non-governmental organizations of South Ossetia that each of them were arrested based on the traditionally fabricated accusation; besides that, they were put in prison for nothing; Georgian law enforcement officers treated them very badly.
Genadi Pliev, born in 1975, was detained by armed people close to the administrative border with South Ossetia early in January, 2010. During detention, people dressed in military uniforms beat him. It happened so suddenly that Pliev could not find out their identities. Later, he was charged for illegal possession and usage of weapon.
“After detention they were asking me how the construction activities are going on in South Ossetia; how many Russian border-guards are deployed there, etc. Five trials were held on me for illegal possession of weapon; at the final proceeding they sentenced me to 6-year-imprisonment. At the appeal trial, before release, they compelled me to plead guilty; after that I was set free,” said Genadi Pliev who added that neither amnesty nor pardoning was used in regard with him.
It is interesting whether the information spread by the EU observers is true. According to them, Genadi Pliev went to the territory controlled by Georgian side in order to get in touch with Dimitri Sanakoev. Genadi Pliev categorically denied the information in his interviews with Ossetian media representatives.
The former hostage pointed out that during detention Public Defender of Georgia Giorgi Tugushi and Red Cross Committee visited him.
Georgian law enforcement officers detained resident of the village of Didmukha Vadim Tadtaev, born in 1965, for illegal possession of weapon. Having finished his work in the village of Didmukha, an acquaintance offered him to give a lift. After Tadtaev got into the car, he was taken to the Georgian side where he was detained.
Tadtaev told he was sentenced to 5-year-imprisonment. “Three trials were held on my case. Simultaneously I was serving my term. I did not hope to get free so soon but on March 29, the appeal trial was appointed to my surprise and there I had to plead guilty. After that, they took me to the border of South Ossetia. There were no Ossetian detainees in the prison besides me. The food was terrible, and I was beaten.”
Three trials on Khatuna Charaeva from Akhalgori district were closed. She was luckier than others because she was accused for different crime – spreading fabricated 30 000 USD.
“As I was clarified, the trial was closed because they did not want the information to get public. The “witness of the crime” also attended the trial; he alleged I had offered false dollars to him. In fact, I saw the man on the trial for the first time. In the prison I was poisoned by the food,” said Khatuna Charaeva.
Charaeva is sure that accusations against every detainee were fabricated.
Khatuna Charaeva: “I was offered to cooperate with Georgian Special Forces. They inquired about everything what was happening in Akhalgori. If I refused to provide them with information, they threatened me with detention. After I finally refused to cooperate with them, they arrested me for fabricated charge.”
Reportedly, the three prisoners were released on March 29. Next day, Georgian side released three more hostages – Temur Amzoev (born in 1950, living in the city of Dzerjinski in Novgorod oblast), Goneri Toroshelidze (born in 1981, living in the village of Artsevi in Tskhinvali district); Zaurbeg Khestanov (born in 1986, living in the north Ossetia).
Amzoev was detained when he was seeing off his grandchild from Akhalgori to Tbilisi at the administrative border; his grandchild lives in Tbilisi.
“When I arrived at the police checkpoint, Georgian policemen told me I could accompany my grandchild a bit further from the checkpoint. I agreed but when I crossed the checkpoint, they detained me and accused in illegal crossing of border. It happened in August of 2009; I spent 8 months in prison,” said 60-year-old former prisoner.
Goneri Toroshelidze was declared after the release that he was free because of his illness. “They said I had to provide them with analyze results within one year. Unless my illness is not confirmed, they demanded to return and serve my term,” said Toroshelidze.
Zaurbeg Khestanov was repairing road in Akhalgori district when representatives of Georgian intelligence group detained him for the traditional accusation – illegal crossing of the border; he was sent to prison for 2 years and half.
Zaurbeg Khetanov: “In the detention setting in Gori they demanded me to decline Russian citizenship and get Georgian one. They offered money, flat, education, status of political refugees if I agreed. Later, they sent me to Ksani prison where there were 3 000 inmates while it is built only for 600 inmates. After the fire in the custody, there was no place to sleep at night. We spent nights in the yard.”
Everybody evaluated the release of Ossetian hostages as a PR - campaign of the Georgian side. They were particularly discontent by the statement of the head of the analytic department within the ministry of internal affairs of Georgia Shota Utiashvili who said “there are no more Ossetian prisoners in Georgian detention settings.” Ossetian side reported that “at the moment 30 more Ossetian prisoners are placed in Georgian detention settings.
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