VIOLATIONS IN SOUTH OSSETIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TBILISI 003171 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV GG RU SUBJECT: VIOLATIONS IN SOUTH OSSETIA ¶1. In response to inquiries from the Department regarding Georgian complaints of misconduct by Russian peacekeeping forces in South Ossetia, post has compiled the following list of incidents and infractions as reported by the GOG. -- September 20, 2005: Military parade in Tskhinvali. -- Violation of Joint Control Commission (JCC) Protocol 3 of July 12, 1992. Failing to prevent the concentration of military force and uncontrolled armament in the zone of conflict. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 7 of February 13, 1997. Allowing the creation of armed groups. -- Violation of Kokoity-Zhvania agreement in Sochi, November 5, 2004. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 40 of November 19-20, ¶2004. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 44, article 2.2, of June 22-23, ¶2005. Joint Peacekeeping Force (JPKF) is responsible for eliminating armed groups and for continuing the process of demilitarization. -- Ongoing movement of military and logistics supplies through the Roki tunnel. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 3 of July 12, 1992. The Roki Tunnel is the responsibility of JPKF to prevent the concentration of military force and uncontrolled armament in the zone of conflict. -- On November 8, 2005, illegally armed "border guards" arrested unauthorized loggers. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 3 of July 12, 1992. -- Violation of JCC Protocol 7 of February 13, 1997. -- Ongoing failure to eliminate the heavy armament belonging to the North Ossetia Alania peacekeeping force. -- Violation of JCC decision of December 6, 1994. -- October 12, 2005: All observers, including OSCE observers, were denied access to Khetagurovo village in South Ossetia. -- Violation of the March 2, 1993, Memorandum of Understanding on South Ossetia and the mandate of the OSCE. ¶2. The following are acts, reported by the GOG, of misconduct by the Russian presence in South Ossetia. -- Russian-born individuals, in most cases employees of the Russian special services, have been appointed to key governing positions in the Tskhinvali "state structures." - "Prime Minister" - Yurii Morozov (Russian Citizen) - "Minister of Defense" ) Anatoliy Barankevich (Russian Citizen) - "Security Minister General" ) Major Anatoliy Yaravoy (Russian Citizen) - "Minister of Internal Affairs" ) Mikheil Mindzayev (Russian Citizen from North Ossetia) - "Deputy Prime Minister" - Nikolay Makoyev (Russian Citizen from North Ossetia) - "Deputy Prime Minister" - Ruslan Pliyev (Russian Citizen from North Ossetia) - Security Advisor to "President" Kokoity - Igor Grundov (Russian Citizen) -- Russian passports are actively issued to the population. -- Representatives of the Russian mass media, without proper permission and accreditation from the GOG, are permanently present in Tskhinvali. -- Moscow has allocated USD 1.5 million for the construction of a bypass road, which enables the de facto authorities to cut off access from the South to the Georgian villages of Didi Liakhvi region by circumventing the current road, which passes through Didi Liakhvi. -- Russian and Ossetian specialists are working on linking South Ossetian electric and gas systems to Russia,s without an agreement with the Georgian side, and outside of the forum of the JCC. -- Violation of Georgia-Russia agreement of December 23, 2000, that both countries must act together in economic development initiatives in South Ossetia. -- Russian companies are illegally investing in the region. Examples include: Ural mining factory,s purchase of management of Kvaisi lead-zinc mine; Sibcabel,s purchase of Tskhinvali factory "Enamel Wire"; Transmashkholding,s SIPDIS purchase of Tskhinvali factory "Electro vibromashina"; Russian allocation of USD 71 million to restore Kvaisi talc mine. -- The Georgian population of the Tigvi municipal council have no access to arable lands due to the ongoing presence of illegal armed forces. ¶3. The following is a list, provided by the GOG, of illegal armed forces in Tskhinvali and adjacent territories. - Militia headed by Dima Tasoev, "tekstil" - Militia headed by Sergey "Pant" Tigiev - "Veterans of 1990-1992 wars" (Khutor),led by Bala Bestauti - Militia "Bam", led by Vova Keleksaev - Armed force of the "Ecological Service", led by Soltanb Pliev, father of Alan Pliev, the "Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs" - Militia "Mamisantubani", led by Kote Kabisov, the "Head of Customs Service" ¶4. The following is a list, provided by the GOG, of illegal checkpoints, fortifications, and weapons warehouses in South Ossetia. -- Tskhinvali District: - Tskhinvali car repair factory ("TSARZ") ) tanks T-55 and SAU-2CI - Territory of the former asphalt factory ) heavily armed militia controlled checkpoint - Territory of the former kindergarten (Gafeze street, not far from Tirifphon channel) ) headquarters of militia, bunker, delivery station of smuggled goods - Former canning factory (near Tskhinvali bus station) ) Heavy military equipment - Ergneti-Tskhinvali road ) checkpoints of "immigration" and "customs" services, and police checkpoint - Zemo Nikosi ) illegal police checkpoint on the road at the Tskhinvali border - North-west of Zemo Nikosi, alongside Kekhvi channel, there are trenches, bunkers and militia headquarters - North of Khoda (4 km from Khetagurovo) there is a military station - Khetagurovo village (Tsunari) ) there is a militia headquarters, and the "South outskirts" checkpoint - Dampaleti village ) militia controlled checkpoint - Tskhinvali-Nikosi border ) repair works of a former cafeteria of the Factory 31 are underway to provide a station for border guards -- Djava District: - Outpatient hospital of the village Sinaguri ) group of 100 boeviks (elite fighters) - Tourist camp of the village Zivgomi ) warehouse of military hardware (12 tanks) - Mekhlebi village ) bunker and arms cache - Gudisi village ) arms cache - Ugardanta village ) bunker and arms cache - Tourist camp of Kroza village ) military forces and equipment - Doloty village ) military base - Rustavi village ) military base - Grubel gorge, north of Tbeti village ) military base - Itrapisi village ) military forces and equipment - Dzari village ) arms cache and equipment - Kusreti village ) fortification installations; military forces -- Gorge Patara Liakhvi: - Special armed groups (10 people in each) patrol the intersection of Eredvi-Kheiti roads which link the villages of the Big Liakhvi with other regions - Prisi village - trenches span 5 km, military force (20-30 men) of Dima Taboev - Satikhari village ) post of local militia - Dmenisi village ) post of local militia - Mtskhetijvari ) post of militia - Tliakana ) post of militia - In the forests, military forces patrol and prevent Georgian population from gathering lumber -- Znauri district in the Proni Gorge: - Building of the former Executive Committee ) border protection unit of 200 of the best local armed militiamen; territory fenced off by barbed wire - Tigvi and Nabakevi villages ) force (100 fighters) armed with machine guns and grenade-launchers, and manned by local residents - Kvemo Okona village ) militia post - Avnevi ) militia post - Muguti village ) militia post ¶5. The following are reported incidents of kidnapping and beating in the Tskhinvali region in 2005. -- October 19, 2005: in the village Dvani, during an armed attack on the family of Chukhrukhidze, the head of the family was shot. -- September 5, 2005: representatives of law enforcement bodies of Tskhinvali assaulted 4 Georgian construction workers who were renovating the Georgian-Ossetian school. -- August 24, 2005: in Artsevi village, a shepherd was assaulted. -- August 19, 2005: 11-year old Geno Petriashvili was kidnapped from the village of Avneve and taken in the direction of Nuli-Gvertsevi. He was released after 100 days in captivity. -- July 21, 2005: resident of the village Artsevi, Gocha Djaremlishvili was kidnapped. -- June 6, 2005: three residents of the village of Kekhvi and one from Birdjnisi were kidnapped. -- May 29, 2005: near the village of Tamarsheni, 5 people were killed in a violent incident. -- May 12, 2005: near the village of Avnevi, a group of armed people, threatening with arms, held two observers of the OSCE mission in Georgia. TEFFT