Tskhinvali Insists on Exchange of Captives

Press and Information Committee of unrecognized South Ossetian Republic issued a statement on January 21 saying that the South Ossetian side will release Georgian policemen Lado Chalauri only in case the Georgian side hands over Oleg Pukhaev, an ethnic Ossetian arrested by the Georgian police on January 19.

According to this statement arrested Georgian policeman is accused of ?torturing arrested Ossetians? ? allegations described by the Georgian officials as ?fabricated.?

Lado Chalauri, who is the chief of the police in the Georgian village of Eredvi in the South Ossetian conflict zone, was detained by the South Ossetian side on January 20 together with another Georgian policeman Gocha Gvimradze.

As a result of talks between the Georgian and South Ossetian sides, Gocha Gvimradze was released on January 20, however chief of Eredvi police Chalauri still remains under detention in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali.

Georgian officials categorically refuse to exchange Ossetian Oleg Pukhaev, who is accused by the Georgian law enforcers for alleged murder case, in exchange of the Georgian policeman.

Georgian media reported say that co-villagers and relatives of Lado Chalauri are currently rallying in the village of Ergneti in the conflict zone demanding immediate release of Chalauri.