The South Ossetian capital city of Tskhinvali, still recovering from the heavy shelling in last year’s Georgian invasion, was hit again yesterday by two shells fired from the Georgian village of Nikozi, according to the South Ossetian government. Though there were no reported casualties the incident is likely to keep tensions between the Georgian government [...]
Today Russia released the findings of its probe into the August war with Georgia, with the head of the committee saying “we can say that we have witnessed the genocide of the Ossetian people.” Georgia’s actions in the war have been under repeated scrutiny since August, and last month Amnesty International accused them of “indiscriminate [...]
International mediators report that Russia and Georgia have agreed to work out their differences on the status of the region along the border between Georgia and the newly independent enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Still, the sides failed to finalize a text on the management of the area’s security and refugees.
EU representative Pierre Morel [...]
It was announced earlier today that Russian forces had withdrawn from the disputed village of Perevi along the border between Georgia and the separatist enclave of South Ossetia. The European Union said the pullback came at their behest, but Georgian Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze said that Russian troops returned later in the day to reestablish [...]
In comments today Georgia’s former ambassador to Russia Erosi Kitsmarishvili said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was ‘itching’ to do battle over South Ossetia, and blamed the nation for sparking a brief August war with Russia that ended in the destruction of much of Georgia’s military and Russia officially recognizing the independence of the separatist enclaves [...]
After a reported shooting near a motorcade taking Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and visiting Polish President Lech Kaczynski to the Ossetian border, the Georgian government issued a statement claiming Russian soldiers fired the shots from 30 meters away.
President Saakashvili said the attack was aimed at the two leaders, and underscored the “unpredictable people” the Russian [...]
Amnesty International has issued a comprehensive new report on the August war between Russia and Georgia in which it details concerns regarding serious human rights violations and urges an investigation into the conduct of all parties.
Serious accusations were once again aimed at the Georgian military, who is again reported to have launch “indiscriminate attacks” during [...]
Growing doubts about the government’s actions in the August war with Russia, which destroyed much of Georgia’s military, as well as residual anger over last year’s anti-opposition crackdown seem palpable today as over 10,000 members of the opposition rallied in the streets of Tbilisi demanding new parliamentary and presidential elections.
Newly available reports by independent military [...]
Ever since the Georgian shelling of Tskhinvali sparked its brief August war with Russia, both sides have claimed loudly and consistently that the other has committed war crimes. This has included over 3,000 complaints filed with the European Court of Human Rights regarding action in South Ossetia. The complaints have largely been shrugged off by [...]
Updated 10/15 11:40 AM EST
Peace talks planned for today in Geneva between Russia and Georgia have broken down after Russia refused to attend. Abkhazian Foreign Minister Sergei Chamba says there will now be two separate Geneva meetings, one for Russia and its allies and another for the Georgians.
Russian negotiators said they thought the talks should [...]
