In connection with the situation surrounding South Ossetia the European Court of Human Rights on August 12 adopted a decision in which in order to prevent violations of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in the region it calls upon “both the High Contracting Parties concerned to comply with their engagements under the Convention” and requests “both Governments concerned to inform the Court of the measures taken to ensure that the Convention is fully complied with."

The Strasbourg Court Secretariat’s press release specifies that this decision was adopted in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of Court in the context of Georgia’s application to the ECHR directed against the actions of the Russian side. Unfortunately this press release made a vexing mistake distorting the meaning of the ECHR decision, addressed to Russia and Georgia alike.

The Georgian side has hastened to avail itself of this blunder, by circulating an allegation that the ECHR demands to observe the Convention are addressed to the Russian side alone. In doing so the Georgian side uses the ambiguity really set into the press release, because of which one has the impression that the Court decision concerns the Russian Federation only.

We consider it necessary to declare in this connection that the ECHR decision concerning measures to comply with the Convention is addressed to both High Contracting Parties. Any attempts at a one-sided interpretation by the Georgian side of this quite explicit and definite decision merely reflect the attempts by Georgia to evade complying with its own engagements under the Convention and, moreover, shirk liability for their violation.

As to the Russian side, it intends to continue to strictly comply with its international engagements in the future as well.