Allegations of Execution, Torture in South Ossetia
Russia should immediately investigate allegations of extrajudicial execution, torture, and other abuse of Georgian military and civilian detainees by Ossetian forces during the recent conflict in Georgia.

In interviews with former Georgian military detainees, Human Rights Watch has documented at least one extrajudicial execution of a Georgian soldier in detention, as well as severe torture of at least four Georgian soldiers by Ossetian militia and other Ossetian forces.

Human Rights Watch also found that Russian and Ossetian forces unlawfully detained at least 160 civilians, mainly elderly, in South Ossetia and Gori district; approximately 40 were women. At least one man was executed while in Ossetian custody. Most civilians were held in the basement of the Ossetian Ministry of Interior building in Tskhinvali for approximately two weeks in conditions that amounted to degrading treatment. Some were subjected to beatings and were forced to work cleaning the streets of Tskhinvali of decomposing bodies of Georgian soldiers and building debris. At least four Georgian civilians were held by Russian military forces in a dirt pit and beaten at what appeared to be a Russian field base before being handed over to the Ossetian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Ossetian forces had no legal authority to detain military service personnel or civilians.

The Georgian military detained Ossetians during the active fighting in South Ossetia. The Georgian ministry of defense claims that it detained only militia fighters or others posing security risks. Human Rights Watch spoke to two of the detainees, one traffic policeman and another male who claimed that he had not taken any part in hostilities. Both men reported that they were ill-treated as they were being transferred from South Ossetia to Tbilisi and complained of poor food during detention.
Link to HRW