03 December 2009, 21:00
Georgian authorities demand from South Ossetia to release all four detained teenagers
President of Georgia Mikhail Saakashvili has expressed his discontent with the decision of Tskhinvali court in relation to four detained Georgian teenagers, since two of them were left to serve their terms in South Ossetia.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Nelli Tibilova, Judge of the Supreme Court of the Republic of South Ossetia, announced her verdict on December 2, under which the Georgian teenagers were sentenced to a year of imprisonment each: two - conditionally, and two - in a real minimum security corrective colony.
"President has named the verdict to teenagers 'inhuman'," has his press speaker Manana Mandzhgaladze at a briefing on December 2.
"Mr President believes that thanks to the pressure of the international community separatists have released two teenagers and is grateful for these efforts," Ms Mandzhgaladze has added, as the "Newsru.com" reports.
However, the leaders of the party in power "United National Movement" have severely criticized Thomas Hammarberg, the Commissioner of the Council of Europe on Human Rights, who dealt these days with the fate of the Georgian teenagers arrested in South Ossetia. According to Akakiy Minashvili, head of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs "Mr Hammarberg would not like to interfere with the situation, in spite even the children on the agenda, as he is afraid to spoil relations with Russia."
However, the Georgian opposition has disagreed with this form of statement. "One should not make innocent people guilty," the "Kommersant" quotes Ivlian Khaindrava, one of leaders of the Republican Party. "One should first learn how these teenagers got there; while Thomas Hammarberg is responsible for the situation with human rights all over Europe; nevertheless, he arrived to Georgia and is now constantly moving between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali."
