STRASBOURG. Oct 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is expected to vote for a full-scale independent international investigation of South Ossetian events.
This is provided in a draft PACE resolution, which is being prepared by co-rapporteur on Russia Luc van den Brande and co-rapporteur for Georgia Matyas Eorsi and which is to be discussed on October 2.
"Since Georgia and Russia are contesting the facts concerning the beginning of the war, they need to be established objectively in an independent international investigation," the draft resolution reads.
"Georgian authorities stated that they will welcome such an international investigation, while Russian MPs said they would not mind this proposal," it reads.
"Firing by Georgian troops on Tskhinvali on August 7 resulted in a new wave of escalation: open and full scale military actions," the document reads.
"However, Russia's counterstrike, which was accompanied by full- scale military actions in central and western Georgia, as well as Abkhazia, did not comply with the principle of proportionality and international humanitarian law," it reads.
Russia's actions "led to the occupation of a considerable part of Georgian territory, as well as strikes on this country's economic and strategic infrastructure, which together with appeals to overthrow the regime can be viewed either as direct encroachment on Georgia's sovereignty or as Russia's attempt to spread its influence in the 'near abroad' states," it reads.
"According to latest independent assessments, Russia lost 300 killed and about 500 injured people, while the Georgian side lost 364 killed and 2,234 injured people. However, these figures are much lower than the ones that were presented initially, in particular by Russia. The Georgian side lost 14 people missing in action, the South Ossetian side lost six people missing in action. The total number of people displaced in the war is about 192,000," the draft resolution reads.