Государственное информационное агентство "Рес"

The independent exerts assigned by the Council of Europe (CoE) continue their work in Tskhinval focusing on the circumstances of the abduction of South Ossetians. "During the day on 25 May, CoE expert Bruce Pegg was in Tskhinval. He had several working discussions with representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office", reported the Plenipotentiary for Human Rights David Sanakoev. "In their meetings, the CoE experts receive information on the circumstances of South Ossetian citizens' seizure", said Sanakoev.

The Head of RF FSB Border-Guard Department in South Ossetia Alexander Murzin stated that the crossing of the state border of South Ossetia with Georgia is maintained under a temporarily set procedure in Leningor district (Mosabruni) and Perevi.
”Today, there are no official checkpoints for cross-border movement. There are border segments where a temporary procedure has been set. Such checkpoints exist in Mosabruni, where the cross-border movement is more active and in Perevi. Daily, totally over 700 persons cross the border on both sides. According to standards of a borderline checkpoint, this could be considered as a quite intensive exchange”, said Murzin at his press-conference in Tskhinval.

The Plenipotentiary for human rights to the President of South Ossetia David Sanakoev considers the statements made by Georgian authorities about the release of South Ossetians detained after the war in August 2008 “incorrect”.
“It is at least incorrect to talk about Georgia’s fulfillment of its obligations in release of detained South Ossetians”, stated the Plenipotentiary for Human rights David Sanakoev, commenting on the statement made by the Head of Information and Analysis Department of Georgian Interior Ministry Shota Utiashvili that Georgia has released all residents of South Ossetia detained after the Georgian-Ossetian war in August 2008.
Sanakoev underlined that the Georgian side, and Utiashvili himself, rejected the agreements reached in previous negotiations.

The Chief of the RF FSB Border-Guard Department in South Ossetia Alexander Murzin stated that the Russian border-guards interacted with representatives of Georgian authorities in order to settle conflict situations at the state borderline of South Ossetia with Georgia. “The state border implies deployment of the two sides’ representatives along this line. Undoubtedly, there issues to be identified and regulated jointly”, underlined Murzin at his press-conference in Tskhinval. According to him, various incidents occurred at the borderline, and they are likely to have place in the future. “Namely, the areas adjacent to the borderline are used for grazing. Animals do not care about borders, and hence, they often appear on the contiguous territory. Georgian media had recently disseminated information about eight armed persons, who had reportedly stolen 58 cows from the Georgian territory. We started checking this information with the Georgian side. Initially, they found a part of the lost cattle, then the rest. Apparently, the shepherds simply overslept and missed their cattle and had to invent this first story. The interaction resulted in the positive settlement of the situation”, said Murzin.

Brief interview
Question: The European Parliament support the main conclusions in the report of the EU-sponsored International Independent Fact-Finding Mission into the circumstances of the conflict in South Ossetia headed by Heidi Tagliavini. According to this report, Georgia started the war in South Ossetia. Do you expect that the conclusions of Tagliavini’s Mission would have any impact on the policies of the West to support current Georgian regime?

Murat Djioev, RSO Foreign Minister:
Naturally, South Ossetia was interested in the results of the work done by the EU International Fact-Finding Mission headed by Ambassador Heidi Tagliavini, to examine the events of 2008 August. The Mission had done an enormous work, it maintained contact with all the side involved in the war in August 2008. The hope for the professionalism of the Mission members and the objectivity of their conclusions proved right. In the report voiced in December 2009, and in the recent speeches in the PACE and US Congress, Ambassador Tagliavini had clearly stated Georgia’s and Georgian authorities’ responsibility for unleashing the war in August 2008. I would like to express the hope that eventually the international community will learn the truth and the Western protectors of Sakashvili’s regime will cease their support and supplies of weapons.

The President of the Republic of South Ossetia stated Zar tragedy would always stay in the memory of the Ossetian people. “It is a tragic episode in the history of our people and it will forever stay in the hears and minds of all Ossetians, as a never-healing wound incurable neither through years nor through words of compassion,” said the president. “Our sacred duty before those, who died 20 May 1992, our brothers and sisters, to remember them and do everything possible to prevent similar tragedies in the future.”

8 Georgian citizens detained in South Ossetia for illegal border-crossing. As Deputy Plenipotentiary for Post-Conflict Settlement Merab Chigoev reported to IA RES, law enforcement bodies of South Ossetia detained 5 Georgian citizens on 18 May for illegal border-crossing in Znaur district of South Ossetia. "The same day, one person was detained for similar violation in the village of Artsev, Tskhinval district", said Chigoev.

The president of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity held a session to discuss issues related to security and protection of the state borderline of the Republic of South Ossetia. Representatives of the RF Border-guard service and law enforcement and defense structures, as well as heads of administrations attended the session.
The participants discussed further steps aimed at security and protection of the Republic's state border. The Chief of the RF FSB Border-Guard Department in South Ossetia Alexander Murzin reported on the situation at the borderline and the activities of the Department. He emphasized that the situation at the borderline was controllable.

Russian border-guards jointly with their South Ossetian colleagues conducted their routine flight over the borderline areas of South Ossetia. During their overflight, the border-guards accompanies by journalists saw the areas adjacent to the boundary-line in the vicinity of Sinagur village, Mamison pass and Leningor district of South Ossetia. During this routine activity, the border-guards monitor the border-line are. As reported the press-service of the RF BSB Border-guard department in South Ossetia, "this kind of overflights are conducted regularly." The results of the overflight were satisfactory.

The president of the Republic of South Ossetia held a session with ministers and heads of governmental agencies. The session began with the report of the Deputy Interior Minister of Vitaly Gassiev on the criminal situation in the Republic. Gassiev stressed that through the reported period the situation remained calm. According to him, particular attention was paid to prevention and investigation of crimes related to drugs and arms trafficking. “With the arms collection launched, we have collected enough arms and ammunitions. We are continuing these activities”, underlined Gassiev. He also noted the positive results in the investigation of criminal cases of few previous years. In the meantime, Eduard Kokoity made several remarks in relation to proper performance of the road police (GAI) personnel, who, according to him, did no always duly record the cases with drunk drivers.