The fate of the eight citizens of South Ossetia, missing since the war in August 2008, is still unknown. This was announced today – on the International Day of the Missing - by Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy of South Ossetia for post-conflict settlement Murat Dzhioev at a briefing in Tskhinval.
"Today in South Ossetia, along with other countries, is being marked the International Day of the Missing - said Dzhioev. - This date is celebrated in more than 30 countries around the world, especially in those who have experienced military conflict, aggression."
"As a result of the Georgian aggression in 1989 -1992, more than 130 residents of South Ossetia are still considered missing - said Dzhioev. - These are people who under different circumstances were captured by the Georgian aggressors, and their fate is still unknown."
Dzhioev has added that the fate of the eight citizens of South Ossetia is still unclarified since the 2008 war.
"We do not stop efforts to clarify the fate of these people - said the envoy. - The fate of each man is very important for us. And while the fate of every missing citizen is unknown, the war cannot be ended."
According to Dzhioev, the South Ossetian side together with the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international humanitarian organizations apply all efforts to clarify the fate of the missing South Ossetian citizens.
"I want to express my gratitude to the International Committee of the Red Cross for the efforts to help the South Ossetian side in this matter," - said Dzhioev.
To date, there is reliable information about six citizens of the Republic, missing since the war in August 2008.
"We know that these people were captured by the security forces of Georgia - said Dzhioev. - First of all, Khachirov, Khugaev and Pliev who were captured October 13, 2008 near the village of Khelchua (Tskhinval district of South Ossetia). There are witnesses that they were questioned by the Georgian police in the Georgian village Mereti, after which they were taken to Gori. Their subsequent fate is unknown. After that the commission of the Council of Europe was involved in clarification of the fate of the people. They found out that they had been captured by Georgian police and the experts made a recommendation to the Georgian side to interrogate those who had questioned the South Ossetian citizens. But, unfortunately, the Georgian side has not taken any action."
The envoy added that the mothers of the three missing citizens of South Ossetia - Khachirov, Pliev and Khugaev - had appealed to the Prime Minister and the Attorney General of Georgia to help to clarify the fate of their sons.
"The mothers do not lose hope, - said Dzhioev. - I would like them to receive any positive information about the fate of their sons. We also know that a citizen of South Ossetia Kabisov was detained by the Georgian military and police structures on August 8, 2008 and was being kept in Gori and currently his fate is also unknown. Another citizen of South Ossetia Ikaev for ten days was being kept at the Vaziani military base in Georgia, his fate is also unknown."
The envoy has added that representatives of the Georgian security forces during the August war captured the wounded citizen of the RSO Mairbeg Tedeev.
"Before each meeting within the framework of the Geneva discussions as well as the Mechanisms to prevent and respond to incidents President Leonid Tibilov reminds us to raise this issue", - said Dzhioev.
The Envoy has noted that by today's events held in the Republic on the occasion of the Day of the Missing, South Ossetia reminds the international community that it has not forgotten and is still waiting and searching for their missing citizens.
