Why does Georgia need Ossetian prisoners?

Georgia is illegally detaining citizens of South Ossetia kidnapped in August-November 2008. It was stated by David Sanakoev, the HR Plenipotentiary to South Ossetian president in Moscow on January 27.

At Interfax press conference Sanakoev pointed out that four citizens had been taken prisoners at the time of the war in August, other 11 had been kidnapped after the conflict. He expressed his concern for the lives of these civilians emphasizing: "We are open to further negotiations".

For now there is no progress in negotiations suspended for over two months.

Last time the representatives of official Tbilisi and Tskhinval met in South Ossetia on November 16. South Ossetian authorities handed over 10 corpses of Georgian servicemen who had died in the republic in August. Sanakoev himself called this "an act of good will". The Georgian side in its turn released 8 imprisoned Ossetians. At that meeting the return of the 15 South Ossetians mentioned above was discussed. By the way according to Rosbalt they had been kidnapped by Georgian special services. As Sanakoev said the negotiations on their future had reached a deadlock.

Why?

This is what Sanakoev was saying before the negotiations in November.

"Uncontrolled and frequently provocative actions of Georgian power structures', - as Osinform IA stated, - that violate the conflict area regime are growing more and more threatening leading to new aggravation of an extremely tense situation in Georgian-Ossetian relations".

In other words Georgia benefits from tension on the border especially relying on traditional inertness of the international monitors that are conducting their monitoring missions in the region. This is the comment of South Ossetian president's special envoy on post-conflict settlement Boris Chochiev in his interview with "Kavkazsky uzel":

"Acts of kidnapping are connected with the EU not having elaborated specific patrol plans, and withdrawal of Russian peacemakers that would be able to provide security of civilians in the region according to the Medvedev-Sarkozy plan". He refers to the following fact as evidence: all acts of kidnapping following the August conflict were committed after the Russian armed forces were pulled out.

Indeed what Europe is doing now is just monitoring and stating.

Among other things the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Thomas Hammerberg has visited the region three times.

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