On 3 March 2010, the "Agreement between the Governments of the Russian Federation and South Ossetia on visa free travel for citizens of the RF and SO" entered into force. In accordance with this Agreement, citizens of the Republic of South Ossetia may enter, depart from and stay in the Russian Federation without visa required for a period of 90 days.
On 2 March 2010, Russian FSB Border-guards in South Ossetia detained two unidentified persons in the village of Kalet, Znaur district, reported the press-service of the Border-Guards Department. “200 meters from the state border of South Ossetia, man and a woman traveling from Georgia were detained. The trespassers had no ID documents with them. The detained persons stated that they were Georgian citizens, who passed the border to visit their relatives on the territory of South Ossetia, in the village of Znaur,” reads the press-service report.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delivered assistance in seeds and fertilizers to residents of Znaur district of South Ossetia. As reported the Head of Economic Security Department of the ICRC Office in Tskhinval Azim Noorani, each family received a sack of potatoes, vegetable seeds and fertilizers. “This humanitarian assistance will be delivered to all residents of this district. The population is satisfied with the received aid and expressed appreciation to the ICRC”, said Noorani.
Tskhinval (ICRC) 1 March 2010 – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today launched a program of agricultural support to rural populations affected by the conflict. Close to 4'000 households (approximately 10'000 individuals) will receive a package of potatoes, vegetable seeds, fertilizer and insecticide. The distribution of in-kind agricultural inputs is designed to increase the productivity of vegetables and orchard crops in rural areas on which many people rely for their subsistence.
The CoE Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg and tow independent experts are arriving in South Ossetia, reported South Ossetian Ombudsman David Sanakoev. They will meet with the South Ossetian HR Commissioner and the relatives of the South Ossetian citizens captured by Georgian authorities, and with the relatives of those who went missing. “During the meetings, the CoE will try to obtain the information about the circumstances in which the persons were captured, as well as details of their whereabouts after the disappearance available with their relatives”, said Sanakoev. “European human rights defenders intend to investigate the circumstances of abduction of South Ossetian citizens by Georgian law enforcers during after the August 2008 hostilities”, underlined the Ombudsman.
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Tomas Hammarberg arrived in Tskhinval. He is accompanied by independent experts to carry out an investigation into circumstances of abduction of South Ossetian citizens by Georgian law enforcers during the hostilities in August 2008 and after.
The two independent experts Bruce Pegg and Nicolas Sebir already had a meeting with relatives of South Ossetian citizens captured by Georgian authorities, now they are having a meeting with the relatives of the missing South Ossetian citizens.
Conservatism and stereotyped thinking in foreign policy – factors, which caused frustration among many states and international organizations inflexible in their response to the changed political realities. An example of such sluggishness – the persistent unwillingness to recognize the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the support to "the territorial integrity" of Georgia, which throughout the post-Soviet period had no control over these republics. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, South Ossetia and Abkhazia became de-facto independent states, and in 2008, they sovereignty was recognized by Russia.
"We deeply appreciate the efforts of the Russian diplomats who raised before the OSCE a question about recognition of South Ossetia", stated to the RES Agency the South Ossetian Foreign Minister Murat Djioev commenting on the statement by the RF Permanent Representative to the OSCE Anvar Azimov.
The trial on the case of Fatima Margieva, a citizen of South Ossetia, charged with illegal acquiring and keeping of arms and explosives will take place within two weeks, reported to RES Agency the acting Supreme Court Judge Mukhar Kokoev.
The judge specified that currently Margieva is kept in the pre-trial detention facility of the Interior Ministry of South Ossetia.
Under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) a meeting on preparation of coordination mechanism for persons unaccounted for since the hostilities in South Ossetia in August 2008 and after was convened in Geneva. As David Sanakoev, Human Rights Commissioner, in his phone conversation with RES Agency, the meeting was a step forward in the process of clarifying the fates of people missing in the hostilities in August 2008.
"The meeting participants exchanged lists of missing persons. The South Ossetian side has raised a number of questions, which are now under discussion", reported the HR Commissioner.
