Ombudsmen of Georgia to meet with arrested Ossetians

Sozar Subari, Georgian ombudsman, intends to meet with the Ossetians from the Tzkhinvali region arrested by the Georgian police on May 27.

"I want to clarify the cause of the incident. It is hard to say anything in advance, prior to meeting with the victims. Tomorrow I go to the conflict zone along with Geogriy Khaindrava, State Minister on Conflict Settlement, and will meet with the detained persons," Subari said to journalists on Sunday, May 28.

According to the "Novosti" news agency, he added: "Even now one may clearly state that, if the information on physical insults of the detained persons is confirmed, the responsibility must rest with the persons at fault."

On May 27, the Georgian police arrested more than 50 Ossetians in the Georgia-Ossetia conflict zone. They were brought to the Shida Kartly regional police station in the town of Gori and kept there until late at night. Some of the persons detained claimed that they had been beaten by the police.

For reference, during the night of May 21, an armed group of Georgians attacked the village of Khelchua. Shooting took place resulting in two of the attackers, Eliauri and Sabanashvili, being killed. On the Ossetian side, Atzamaz Khugaev, 28, received gunshot wounds in his thorax and waist and knife wounds in his back.

Meanwhile, a military parade took place in Tbilisi on May 27, with more than 18,000 participants. Some people think that, after the demonstration of its power, Georgia started attacks against the Combined Peacekeeping Forces and the civil population of South Ossetia.