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Τετάρτη 19 Ιανουαρίου 2011

European Court Decision on South Ossetia


An unfair decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to decline to consider the complaints of citizens of South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers? relatives against Georgia confirms this organizations disrespectful attitude towards human rights in whole. It was reported by Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Ossetia, Murat Dzhioyev, commenting on the ECHR?s decision to decline to consider 1,549 complaints against Georgia, connected with violations of provisions of the European Convention for Human Rights during the Georgian aggression in August 2008. 

According to the minister, the ECHR?s decision is ?politicized and aimed to turning a blind eye to crimes committed by Saakashvili?s clique against humanity in general and against the citizens of South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers in particular.? 

?It is also an attempt to disavow the findings contained in the report by the Independent Commission the European Union headed by Heidi Tagliavini related to the fact that it was Georgia that had started its aggression against South Ossetia in August of 2008,? Dzhioyev reminded. He noted with regret that such inadequate attitude of the European institutions towards Georgia and South Ossetia are common. ?This attitude can not contribute to peace in the Caucasus,? the minister said. 

Let us recall that on January 10, the ECHR declared the refusal to consider 1,549 complaints against Georgia, connected with alleged violations of provisions of the European Convention for Human Rights during the conflict in August 2008 in the Caucasus. A communiqué of the ECHR notes that in total more than 3,3 thousand complaints had been made against Georgia in connection with the August war in the Caucasus in 2008. The court asked the claimants to provide additional information. As the result, the ECHR decided not to try on complaints without such information. 

Most of the complaints against Georgia?s authorities in South Ossetia are made by local residents and Russian peacekeepers. Tbilisi is accused of abasement of human dignity, discrimination and violation of human rights to life and legal protection. Let us recall that the armed conflict took place in August 2008. 

First Deputy Chairman of Russian State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs Leonid Slutsky called incomprehensible the position of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. 

?It cannot be argued that the ECHR has taken in this regard a pro-Georgian orientation, but at the same time the fact that the Strasbourg Court requires from claimants to provide some additional information on this topic, leaves perplexed,? Slutsky told the Interfax on Monday. 

He emphasized that comprehensive information about the fact that it was Georgia that had committed an armed invasion of South Ossetia, was presented a year ago in the report of the Head of the international independent South Ossetia conflict fact-finding mission Heidi Tagliavini. This information was recognized objective at the meeting of the PACE, said the Russian parliamentarian. 

Having recalled that in late January there will be another session of the PACE, Slutsky, who is Deputy Head of the Russian delegation in the Assembly, did not rule out the possibility that ?during their visit to Strasbourg, Russian lawmakers will ask the representatives of the ECHR to explain what exactly additional information the court needs in order to admit to examination numerous complaints against Georgia?s authorities both from residents of South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers suffered during the armed conflict.? 

In turn, the director of the Institute of Political Studies, Duma Deputy Sergei Markov said that the European Court?s decision to decline to consider complaints of 1,500 residents of South Ossetia and Russian peacekeepers against Georgia tends to undermine the authority of this instance. 

?This is legal trickstering and a highly politicized position of clear anti-Russian spirit. To decline to consider complaints actually means to justify war crimes of Saakashvili?s regime. And everyone has no doubts that Saakashvili is a war criminal,? said Markov. 

According to Sergei Markov, Moscow at an official level should harshly react to the Strasbourg Court?s decision. 

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