Evolutsia.Net

On November 4th, more than a week and a half ago, four Georgian teenagers were arrested by the South Ossetian police force. According to the South Ossetian de facto government, the boys were illegally crossing the border and were in possession of a grenade.

Georgi Romelashvili, 14, Aleko Sabadze, 16, Viktor Buchukuri, and Levan Khmiadashvili, both 17, lived in the village of Tirdznisi, near the Ossetian ‘border’. Their relatives have told RFE/RL that it is highly unlikely they could have been in possession of a grenade, moreover, the border between Georgia and South Ossetia is ambiguous, there is no official line drawn.

Yesterday the Council of Europe released a statement in which they call for the immediate release of the young boys (civil.ge):

“Nowhere in Europe should teenagers be detained as a result of political and security issues,” Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Samuel Žbogar said in a joint statement issued on November 16.

The detention of teenagers is not acceptable anywhere in the world when so clearly based on a political conflict, which these boys are merely the victim of. Even if these boys would have ‘master-planned’ an attack on the South Ossetian government, which I honestly can not believe, they should be handed over to Georgian or European monitors as South Ossetia is not even a recognized country which is capable of protecting the rights of children; nor is it a member, due to its the non-recognition, of any of the treaties ensuring fundamental human rights.

According to the article on civil.ge, Georgia has filed a complaint:

Meanwhile, Georgia has filed a lawsuit in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) over the detention of four Georgian teenagers by the South Ossetian authorities.

Georgian Deputy Justice Minister Tina Burjaliani said that Georgia requests ECHR “to oblige the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally release four Georgian teenagers, who remain held for already two weeks.”

“As far back as on August 12, 2008 the European Court made an interim ruling, which instructed the Russian Federation, before the final ruling of the court and despite the content of this ruling, to refrain from any acts, that violate human rights and freedoms on the occupied territories and adjacent areas,”

Although that might give some clarity on the matter, I am afraid the South Ossetian de facto Government will not listen to these pleadings, nor to the CoE. And for that matter, nor will Russia.