August 2008 war: South Ossetia doubts Georgian authorities’ promises to 'restore justice'
South Ossetia doesn’t trust Georgian Dream
Georgia has established a temporary investigative commission to examine alleged crimes committed during the presidency of Mikheil Saakashvili and his United National Movement party. Among other accusations, the current Georgian authorities blame Saakashvili for initiating the August 2008 war over South Ossetia.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, stated that “the circumstances surrounding the start of the 2008 war in South Ossetia under the former president’s regime will be investigated.”
In South Ossetia, however, the move is met with scepticism, with locals believing that the Georgian authorities are pursuing their own political interests and are not genuinely concerned with the events of 2008 or the Ossetian people.
“Time will tell”
In response, South Ossetia’s Foreign Ministry issued an official statement declaring that “the perpetrators guilty of unleashing military aggression, who ordered the invasion of South Ossetia, attacked peacekeepers and committed acts of genocide against the Ossetian people must be punished.”
However, the ministry expressed doubt over the commission’s effectiveness:
“Time will show how accurately and transparently the current commission will approach the assessment of the events of August 2008, but the results of the work of the international commission headed by Tagliavini, which determined that Georgia is an aggressor, are obvious.
It is also evident that the people of South Ossetia have chosen to build an independent state and to strive for comprehensive strengthening of relations with Russia, which is the guarantor of its security, and other friendly countries. August 2008 clearly demonstrated who is a friend of the Ossetian people and who is a foe.”
“Just trying to crush their opponents, but…”
The investigation into Saakashvili and his government’s actions in August 2008 was also addressed by South Ossetian politician Alan Kochiev on his Telegram channel.
“It’s clear that this whole process is political in nature, aimed at [Georgian Dream’s] desire to crush their opponents. But regardless, if those responsible for the atrocities are punished, that’s something worth noting,” Kochiev said.
He also expressed hope that “there are honest people in Georgia who will raise the issue of accountability for the war crimes committed by Georgian armed groups and political figures in the early 1990s and in 2004.”
“Publicity stunt”
Overall, South Ossetian officials and experts interviewed by JAMnews view Georgian Dream’s initiative with scepticism.
One local expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the commission—led by Georgia’s former justice minister—may be serving domestic political aims.
“It’s just internal squabbling. I don’t believe Georgia is truly concerned with restoring justice or seeking repentance before us, the Ossetians.”
A civil society figure described the calls to punish Saakashvili for the events of August 2008 as a “publicity stunt” aimed at residents of South Ossetia. However, in his view, the “campaign” is entirely ineffective:
“Georgia hasn’t changed its rhetoric—our republic is still referred to as Georgian territory. These commissions are created to sway public sentiment in South Ossetia in Georgia’s favour. But we’ve seen through these tricks long ago. No one here cares about Saakashvili or Georgia. Let them do what they want with him. We don’t trust anyone in Georgia.”
“Two birds with one stone”
A former South Ossetian prosecutor shares a similar view. He believes that Georgia should first and foremost sign a non-aggression pact with South Ossetia:
“I see Georgia’s investigation into the 2008 events as a form of manipulation. They want to send us a message that there’s now a different political system in Georgia, one that condemns Saakashvili’s actions. With one shot, they’re trying to kill two birds: eliminate their domestic opponents and win the trust of the Ossetian public.
At the same time, the Georgian side continues to loudly claim Russian aggression in 2008 and the occupation of 20% of their territory by Russia.
There’s a contradiction here. And to this day, they still refuse to sign a non-aggression agreement.”
Apologies that (so far) never came
Back in 2024, during Georgia’s parliamentary election campaign, Bidzina Ivanishvili — founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the country’s de facto leader — stated that if his party remained in power, Georgia would apologise to the Ossetian people for the suffering they had endured.
The statement sparked a strong backlash within Georgian society. And in South Ossetia, it was met with little enthusiasm. Many Georgians believe they have nothing to apologise for, while many Ossetians feel that an apology alone is far from enough.
The parliamentary elections held on 26 October 2024 were won by Georgian Dream — but the promised apology to South Ossetia has yet to materialise.
Meanwhile, the opposition (including the very same United National Movement) and civil society still refuse to recognise the election results or the legitimacy of the current government. So the “dreamers” are currently preoccupied with their own domestic troubles — precisely what our South Ossetian respondents are pointing to.
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