Russia's MFA: HRW's report on South Ossetia echoes estimates of western experts

The report of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) on events in South Ossetia does not differ from earlier estimates of western experts and is based on groundless theses, runs the comment of the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation, published on Monday, January 26, in the website of the Ministry.

The report of the HRW "At War As at War?" states that during the war in South Ossetia Russia and Georgia broke the international law by provoking losses among peaceful residents; and the South-Ossetian authorities in their first statements after the August war had overestimated the number of victims by an order of magnitude.

"The report says practically nothing about the enormous losses suffered by South Ossetia as a result of Georgian aggression," runs the comment of the Russian foreign office as quoted by the RIA "Novosti". The Russia's MFA has also ascertained that the authors of the report "have not dared to state the responsibility of the Georgian party for the aggression unleashed against South-Ossetian population and Russian peacekeepers in August 2008."

We remind you that in its annual report, published on January 14, the Human Rights Watch criticized Russia for war crimes and violations of human rights during the conflict in South Ossetia.

"At bombardment of South Ossetia, Georgian troops had applied non-selective and excess force. Use of 'Grad' installations by Georgian militaries at shelling Tskhinvali and adjacent villages resulted in victims among civilians," said Tatiana Lokshina, deputy head of the Moscow office of the Human Rights Watch.

The "Georgia Online" writes that according to the report, the HRW has also established that in a number of cases in South Ossetia and in indisputable territories of Georgia, Russian armed forces had undertaken non-targeted air, artillery and tank attacks, as a result of which "many civilians were lost and wounded."

Besides, in the opinion of human rights activists, Russian troops had done little enough to ensure security of Georgian villages in South Ossetia.

Representatives of the Human Rights Watch have confirmed that enclave Georgian villages in South Ossetia had been completely burnt down. It was a true ethnic cleansing, as the human rights activists insist. Whereas no facts of genocide, contrary to statements of the Russian Investigatory Committee, allegedly applied by Georgians against Ossetians, were revealed, as the "Echo Moskvy" Radio reports.

As to the South-Ossetian party, the report reminds that right after the conflict officials in South Ossetia had stated about 2000 casualties; then, the figure was some 1600 victims. However, "as of today the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation could present information about 162 casualties," the "Interfax" quotes Anna Neustadt, a researcher of the Division on Emergencies of the HRW.

Now, as human rights activists assert, the situation in South Ossetia is close to humanitarian catastrophe. Moscow sends humanitarian help in tons, but it practically fails to reach the population. Besides many residents are homeless and have to live in winter in inhuman conditions.