“The Human rights monitors found evidence of the burning of houses, attacks on civilians and forced displacement of the Georgian population as late as Friday 17 October. There is still fear and tension in the conflict zone. The Russian Federation effectively controls South Ossetian territory and is responsible for maintaining security and allowing the displaced population to return and to investigate numerous allegations of crimes committed in the areas that have been and continue to be effectively under Russian control during and after the armed conflict in August, irrespective of who actually committed them. The Georgian government, on the other hand, is responsible for providing security to the population in the areas it controls, including in the de facto border regions, and for investigating the numerous allegations of crimes committed during and after the armed conflict, irrespective of who actually committed them”, Aage Borchgrevink says in the statement.

During August, September and October 2008, the Austrian Helsinki Foundation, Caucasia Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Studies, The Georgian Human Rights Centre and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee interviewed a number of IDPs and villagers from the conflict zones in South Ossetia, Kareli Region, Gori Region and Zugdidi region of Western Georgia. Between 60 and 70 IDPs and villagers from the conflict zones were interviewed. Some of them were interviewed in-depth, as they were victims of, or eyewitnesses to, grave violations of humanitarian law and human rights law. Based on the material one cannot draw any conclusions about the total number of serious war crimes (like e.g. the number of people summarily executed or the exact number of houses burned). This material is non-exhaustive, and only provides an indication of the overall figures.

Yet, this material strongly suggests a pattern of systematic attacks against the civilian population that continues today. The acts are seemingly aimed at changing the ethnic composition of the population in South Ossetia. During the first phase of the armed conflict (which continued for about five days from 7 August until 12 August), both parties seem to have committed war crimes in the form of indiscriminate bombings and disproportional use of force against mixed or civilian targets. In the second phase of the conflict the civilian population were specifically targeted in those areas effectively controlled by the Russian armed forces. These actions have lead to ethnic cleansing.

Recommendations:

To the Russian Federation :
– Ensure that there is adequate security for the population of South Ossetia, including the Georgian population, and immediately stop the on-going persecution of civilians.
– Facilitate the unimpeded, voluntary return of the internally displaced people from Georgia to their native villages in South Ossetia.
– Investigate the numerous allegations where grave violations of humanitarian law and human rights that have occurred during and after the armed conflict, irrespective of which side was responsible for the violations.

To the Georgian government :
– Step up security measures (e.g. police presence) for the civilian population in the de-facto border areas, while at the same time avoiding exacerbating tensions in the conflict zone.
– Investigate the numerous allegations of grave violations of humanitarian law and human rights that have occurred during and after the armed conflict, irrespective of which side was responsible for the violations.
– To enter the villages as soon as possible to assist in de-mining activities and locate unexploded ordnance, including cluster bombs.

To read the whole article: go to the website of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee
To see pictures: go to Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
To read the statement (in Georgian): Statement