Государственное информационное агентство "Рес"

The Georgian side has been misleading not only the South Ossetian side, but also representatives of international organizations in the issues related to South Ossetians captured during and after the war in August 2008, stated the SO Ombudsman David Sanakoev commenting the video footage disseminated by IA RES on tortures practiced by Georgian special services against Ossetians.
”We gained access to video footage showing South Ossetians Alan Khachirov, Alan Khugaev and Soltan Pliev being subjected to tortures by representatives of Georgian law enforcement bodies. Earlier, representatives of the Georgian side, Chairman of Parliament committee for defense and security Givi Targamadze and Georgian Police representative Shalva Tramakidze denied the fact of these detainees being located in Georgia.

Today, a delegation of RSO government representatives went to Leningori district. As reported by the head of delegation, Finance MInister Inal Pukhaev, the purpose of the visit is to see the situation on the ground. "The main objective is to assess the situation with finances. Tskhinval had been receiving complaints from the population concerning the work of the local administration and vs. from the administration in regard to some inhabitants who refused to work", said Pukhaev.
He also stressed that as a follow-up, the problem with salary payouts for state owned structures would be settled. The delegation includes all ministers; deputies. The visit had been organized upon the initiative of RSO President Eduard Kokoity.

"We have an acting Prime-Minister, Aslanbek Bulatsev. Due to health reasons, Bulatsev is unable to take up his duties", stated RSO President Eduard Kokoity responding to journalist questions at the press-conference in Tskhinval about the long absence of Aslanbek Bulatsev. As stated by Eduard Kokoity, he "had recently met Aslanbek Bulatsev. He arrived in Moscow for doctors' consultations. He had serious health problems and that is why he could not take up his duties", said the president.
"He is willing to help but his health does not allow him to do so. We hope that Bulatsev will be soon able to take up his duties", said the President.

"Georgia had not yet turned into a real state and is now in a deep political crisis", said President of South Ossetian Eduard Kokoity commenting the political situation in Georgia.
"Rallies are being held in Tbilisi, the Georgian opposition demands for resignation of international criminal Saakashvili. He is responsible for victims of Georgian aggression," said Eduard Kokoity.
"In South and North Ossetia, the population is concerned about the last two day events and protest rallies in Georgia. Georgia tends to interpret this differently, as if Russia had started some actions against Georgia. There is nothing of the kind. The situation in South Ossetia is normal and calm. There are certain structures willing to destabilize the situation in South Ossetia".

The meeting with the Geneva talks Co-Chairmen finished in Tskhinval. According to the EU Co-Chairman Pierre Morel, the meeting discussed all planned issues. "A special attention was paid to the Incident Prevention Mechanism. A list of the sides' participants for weekly meetings will be soon announced. Creation of a hotline for regular discussion of problems and convening of emergency meetings had been envisaged", said Morel.

"A concentration of military personnel of Georgia's armed forces had been observed in the area of the village of Dirbi (in the border area adjacent to South Ossetia)", reported the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev. According to him, the "appearance of Georgian military personnel in the number of 100 with armored vehicles and artillery was observed in the village of Dirbi".

A meeting of Geneva talks Co-Chairmen with Post-Conflict Settlement Special Representative was held in Tskhinval. At the meeting, the South Ossetian side was presented with Foreign Minister Murat Djioev, HR Commissioner David Sanakoev, State Advisor Kosta Kochiev, Deputy Foreign Minister Alan Pliev, and Assistant to Post-Conflict Settlement Special Representative Merab Chigoev. The international delegation was headed by the EU Special Representative (SR) Pierre Morel. OSCE and UN representatives were also part to the delegation.
"It turned out that we usually meet close to next round of Geneva talks. Today, it is a working meeting and the visit program includes a trip to Leningori district", he said.
Chochiev had pointed to a number of shortcomings in the work of international organizations and stressed that "the Geneva talks took on a populist character, since the achieved agreements are recalled only right before the next round of the talks or close to your visit".

"The Co-Chairmen in Geneva Talks on Security in the Caucasus representing EU, OSCE and UN are taking a pro-Georgian position", stated the Special Representative for Post-Conflict Settlement Boris Chochiev after the meeting with the Geneva Co-Chairmen.
"The Co-Chairmen are non-objective, biased and I would say, pro-Georgian. We do not see any real evaluation of the situation. They do everything to conceal the negative tendencies obvious with Georgia. With doing so, they never express their own viewpoints. In particular, the EUMM observers located in the areas adjacent to South Ossetia are pursuing their goal to conceal all facts of outrage in their area of responsibility. They do not notice 35 illegal checkpoints deployed by the Georgian side, as well as daily provocations taking place there", said Chochiev.

At the session of Interagency Commission on Rehabilitation of South Ossetia in Moscow, The meeting focused on the priority sites for rehabilitation in South Ossetia. As reported by RSO Minister for house and road construction Alan Koliev, who participated in the IAC meeting, the scope and priority tasks were identified at the meeting.

In the morning on 27 March, a U.S. citizen, the "New York Times" correspondent Christopher John Cheevers had been detained on an attempted crossing of the state border between South Ossetia and Georgia in the village of Mosabruni (Leningor dstrict), reports the news release of the RSO KGB.