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Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE WAR-AFFECTED AREAS FOLLOWING THE CONFLICT IN GEORGIA Warsaw 27 November 2008 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. LETTER TO THE OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE .......................................4 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................6 3. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...............................................................................9 4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..................................................................................9 5. MAP ..........................................................................................................10 6. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................11 BACKGROUND TO THE REPORT ..................................................................11 METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................................11 FOCUS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS ASSESSMENT.......................................13 HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS.......................................................................13 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ......................................................................14 BACKGROUND TO THE CONFLICT..............................................................14 7. HUMAN RIGHTS ASSESSMENT....................................................................17 OVERVIEW .........................................................................................................17 ONGOING CONCERNS.....................................................................................19 THE “BUFFER ZONE” .....................................................................................21 General situation.............................................................................................21 Specific human rights concerns.....................................................................22 Right to life................................................................................................22 Freedom from torture and ill-treatment...................................................24 Arbitrary detention....................................................................................25 Policing and ensuring the safety of persons ............................................25 Property rights and compensation............................................................26 Freedom of movement, including the right to return..............................29 Right to education .....................................................................................30 Economic, social and cultural rights .......................................................31 SOUTH OSSETIA ...............................................................................................33 General situation.............................................................................................33 Specific human rights concerns.....................................................................34 Right to life................................................................................................34 Freedom from torture and ill-treatment...................................................36 Arbitrary detention....................................................................................37 Policing and ensuring the safety of persons ............................................40 Property rights and compensation............................................................40 Freedom of movement, including right to return ....................................46 Right to education .....................................................................................51 Economic, social and cultural rights .......................................................51 ABKHAZIA..........................................................................................................56 General situation.............................................................................................56 Specific human rights concerns.....................................................................58 3 Right to life................................................................................................58 Freedom from torture and ill-treatment...................................................59 Arbitrary detention....................................................................................59 Policing and ensuring the safety of persons ............................................59 Property rights and compensation............................................................60 Freedom of movement, including right to return ....................................62 Right to education .....................................................................................64 Economic, social and cultural rights .......................................................66 Citizenship .................................................................................................68 8. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................71 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS.......................................................................71 RECOMMENDATIONS .....................................................................................76 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL PARTIES TO THE CONFLICT....76 Justice, accountability and compensation................................................76 Human rights ............................................................................................77 Humanitarian issues.................................................................................77 Confidence building, reconciliation and peace .......................................78 ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE DE FACTO AUTHORITIES IN SOUTH OSSETIA AND ABKHAZIA....................................................79 Freedom of movement, access and return ...............................................79 Minority communities...............................................................................79 ADDITONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA........................................................................................................80 Displaced persons......................................................................................80 Legal reforms ............................................................................................81 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE OSCE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ....................................................81 Justice and accountability ........................................................................81 Human rights ............................................................................................81 Humanitarian issues.................................................................................82 Confidence building, reconciliation and peace .......................................82 ANNEX I Letter from the OSCE Chairman-in-Office ....................................83 ANNEX II Relevant OSCE commitments on human and minority rights, CoE obligations and UN standards...........................................................84 ANNEX III List of meetings held and interlocutors met during the human rights assessment (including the high-level visit) ..........................101 ANNEX IV List of non-OSCE sources cited......................................................104 4 1. LETTER TO THE OSCE CHAIRMAN-IN-OFFICE 5 6 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • This report was prepared at the request of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Much of the information it contains was gathered by a Human Rights Assessment Mission (HRAM) of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM). Information from other reliable sources was also included. • The ODIHR assessment of the human rights situation in the war-affected areas following the August 2008 armed conflict in Georgia found that a number of serious human and minority rights concerns remain in its aftermath, including in particular the continuing problems of displaced persons, restrictions on movement, access to justice, dangers from unexploded ordnance (UXO) and instances of lawlessness. • The most urgent human rights concern is the grave situation facing tens of thousands of persons displaced by the conflict who have not yet been able to return to their former places of residence, as well as the dire conditions facing persons who remained in or have returned to homes and villages that were destroyed or heavily damaged during the conflict and its aftermath. • It is clear that the de facto authorities in South Ossetia and Abkhazia1, including Russian military authorities, have not taken steps to facilitate and ensure that displaced persons can return voluntarily to their former places of residence in safety and dignity, in line with obligations under international standards. Moreover, new restrictions on crossing the administrative boundaries are dividing families and creating economic and social hardships for sizeable portions of the population. • The Government of Georgia has made efforts under difficult circumstances to meet the needs of a large, new population of displaced persons. Despite these efforts, as well as those of international and national humanitarian organizations, many displaced