Georgian, South Osetian hostages released

At the closed session held in the capital of South Osetia, Tskhinvali, on January 24, the Georgian and South Osetian co-chairmen of the Combined Control Commission for the Resolution of the Georgian-Osetian Conflict came to an agreement concerning the exchange of hostages.

The Osetian side has released chief of the Georgian police in the Eredvi village Vladimir Chalauri. The Georgian side, in its turn, has released two detained Osetins, Khabelov and Khabuzhev. Today, a joint fact-finding group is leaving for Gori, Georgia, where Aleksandr Pukhayev will be conveyed from a Tbilisi isolator, a spokesman for the commission told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. Doctors and the commission members will examine the state of Pukhayev's health and then he will be taken to Tskhinvali for inquest.

Georgian law enforcers detained Aleksandr Pukhayev a week ago on charges of murdering two Georgians in the village of Tamarasheni last summer. His arrest gave cause for Chalauri's abduction. Pukhayev's guilt will be established by Georgian and South Osetian prosecutors under the control of the Combined Peacekeeping Forces and OSCE observers.