S.Ossetia Blames Georgian Chief Peacekeeper for Shelling

South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity alleged that Paata Bedianashvili, Commander of the Georgian peacekeeping battalion stationed in the conflict zone, was behind the shelling of the breakaway region’s capital Tskhinvali, which occurred on September 27.

Kokoity made this statement during a meeting with Ambassador Roy Reeve, Head of the OSCE Mission to Georgia, the South Ossetian Press and Information Committee reported on September 27.

“We can name those who are to blame for this shelling… The city was shelled under the direct instructions of Paata Bedianashvili. I want to say that we are opening criminal charges against [commander of the Georgian peacekeeping forces] and we will demand his extradition,” Eduard Kokoity said.

The Georgian side appointed Paata Bedianashvili as the commander of the Georgian peacekeeping forces on September 10, despite rotest from the South Ossetian side. Authorities of breakaway region were against of his appointment, citing that Bedianashvili was “one of the key persons behind stirring armed clashes” between the Georgiana and South Ossetian forces last August.

The South Ossetian side barred Bedianashvili from entering Tskhinvali on September 15. The headquarters of the Joint Peacekeeping Forces, which unites servicemen from the Georgian, Russian and Russia’s North Ossetian sides, is located in Tskhinvali.