Human Rights Watch conclusions and their perception

On January 23 Human Rights Watch presented its report on August 2008 events labeled a "five-day war" by the world community in Moscow and Tbilisi.

The report title is rather catchy: "Up in flames. Humanitarian Law Violations and Civilian Victims in the Conflict over South Ossetia".

It is noteworthy that the mass media reported on the document at the end of the week marked by another turn of confrontation between Moscow and Tbilisi. Russia had requested access to Georgia's military facilities for conduct of inspections referring to its right formulated in the OSCE 1991Vienna document. It was refused in virtue of Georgia's declared force majeure with Russia. "No Russian inspectors at Georgian bases!" - This is what Tbilisi says emotionally. "Georgia is scaling up armaments!" - This is how Moscow resentfully reacts.

The rights defenders' report seems to remind to uncompromising neighbors: the best wars in the human history are those avoided. And when both countries failed to prevent August atrocities both of them are equally responsible for what happened.

The report contains evidence that both Georgia and Russia made excessive use of indiscriminate munitions. According to the authors both parties violated the rules of war, committed war crimes, applied cluster bombs and GRAD rockets. "Both parties neglected the international law norms", - the rights defending organization points out referring to the outrage ("anarchy and violence dominated the region"). Neither South Ossetia is released from responsibility.

For instance there are facts based on interviews and documentary records. Georgian servicemen beat the prisoners of war. There was an incident when an old pacifist and a mentally ill person (both undoubtedly harmless) were detained. The Ossetian militia fighters tortured the prisoners and deliberately burned down the Georgian homes. It is also noted that the Russians could not provide for safety and public order: "Russian servicemen allowed Ossetians to destroy Georgian villages whose citizens have not managed to get back to their homes as yet".

The authors of the report believe that Prosecution of both Russia and Georgia must investigate multiple cases of human rights violation in South Ossetia and the authorities of this republic, Georgia and Russia must do their best to bring the refugees back there.

Later the same day Ann Neystan, Human Rights Watch chief emergency investigator held a press conference at Moscow's Interfax with Russian rights defenders participating in it.

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