Within the framework of Geneva agreements on prevention and response to incidents, participants of the IRPM working groups visited the place where 16 Georgian citizens were detained 25 October by Russian border-guards in Leningor district of South Ossetia. As reported by Deputy Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev, representatives of the South Ossetia’s General Prosecurotr’s Office, Border-guard Department of the RSO KGB and RF FSB, as well as representatives of the Georgian side and the EUMM participated in this fact-finding trip.
“As a result of the site visit, it was identified that Georgian citizens trespassed the state border and advanced into the territory of South Ossetia, with what the EUMM observers and the Georgian side’s representatives agreed,” said Chigoev.
According to him, the Leningor district Prosecutor suggested that the EUMM and Georgia’s representatives sign related protocol, but they stated that they were not authorized to sign such protocols. Chigoev has also reported that presently, representatives of the South Ossetian Prosecutor’s Office continue their investigation on the fact.
“The detainees will be treated in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Ossetia. I do hope that their punishment will not be as severe as usually used by Georgian authorities against Ossetian detainees. I mean Khestanov and Amzoev, who have been detained in Georgia and were kept in detention for more than two months. According to Georgian side’s information, they will most probably sentenced to imprisonment or fined", said Chigoev.
