Prosecutor General`s Office of South Ossetia began criminal proceedings on charges of killings and disappearances of the citizens of the Republic in 2008.
As Attorney General of South Ossetia Merab Chigoev said IA "Res," during the last week, prosecutors had investigated materials and criminal cases of the Georgia's attack on South Ossetia in August 2008, as well as those crimes committed by the armed forces of Georgia.
"This is the killing of civilians, the wounded while repelling the aggression, as well as huge material damage caused to our Republic, in particular the residential sector. Several hundred private houses were burned, dozens of residential buildings were destroyed "- reminded Chigoev.
The Attorney General has noted that while studying these materials, his attention was attracted to the fact that some crimes committed in August 2008 and in the following months, have not been responded appropriately by the law enforcement agencies of South Ossetia.
"In particular, it concerns the fact of disappearances of our citizens. I was closely involved in this case while working at the office of Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy for post-conflict settlement, and knew all the hidden motives around our seven missing citizens ", - he said.
According to Chigoev, only two criminal cases were brought- on the fact of the missing resident of the village of Tbet Kabisov, and three South Ossetian citizens - Khugaev, Khachirov and Pliev – who had disappeared near the village of Khelchua, Tskhinval district on October 19, 2008.
"So we decided to began criminal proceedings under Article 105 (murder), assuming that if the missing person is not found within six months, it is considered that he is killed. Criminal proceedings have also begun on the fact of disappearance of three our citizens - Gagloev, Tedeev, disappeared in Tskhinval, and Ikaev, whom the Georgian militants captured August 8, 2008, and then he also disappeared, "- he added.
Investigating authorities of South Ossetia have the information that Ikaev for two weeks was being kept at a military base in Vaziani near Tbilisi.
"Then he along with the other hostages was taken back to South Ossetia to be exchanged for the Georgian citizens detained in South Ossetia. Before reaching Gori, in the village of Igoeti he was put off the bus, and since then he is missing. We believe that he was murdered. Gagloev was wounded near the school №12, and was also captured by the Georgian militants. The same thing happened to Tedeev. We opened criminal cases on these three facts," - said the Attorney General.
This information was subsequently confirmed by the independent experts invited at the insistence of the South Ossetian authorities by the High Commissioner for Human Rights Mr. Thomas Hammerberg.
"In addition, we have the evidence and the witnesses to prove that the other missing person - Kabisov, was kept by the law-enforcement bodies of Georgia, in the police department in Khashuri. And three our citizens, who disappeared near the village of Khelchua - Khugaev, Khachirov and Pliev -were also kept by the law-enforcement bodies of Georgia, and we have a record of their interrogation, "- said Chigoev.
He has recalled that in their report the independent EU experts also confirmed that these people had been kept in Georgia.
"And if we still cannot get any information about them that means they were killed by the Georgian armed forces. This is a war crime committed by the Georgian authorities. We will insist on these facts to have been verified by the new authorities of Georgia and we have to be provided with an official report, "- underlined the Attorney General.
It should be noted that April 15, 2013 during a meeting of the RSO President with the heads of ministries and departments, Attorney General of the Republic Merab Chigoev said the prosecutor's office reopened the investigation of the 2008 criminal cases, including the attack of Georgia on South Ossetia in August 2008.
