Relatives of arrested Russians in Tskhinvali hold pickets in Moscow

On 27 May, in front of South Ossetia Embassy in Moscow, relatives and colleagues of three Russia's citizens that had been arrested in Tskhinvali, hold a series of single pickets. In protestors' opinion, Russia's citizens are being victimized in the republic.

According to Galina Abramova, mother of one of detainees, three employees of Aluton enterprise (RSUE), which produces beer and drinking water, were detained by officials of South Ossetia prosecutor's office on 14 May. Prosecutor's decision says that detainees had no registration. They were detained at their place of residence. Then, the Tskhinvali district court decided to keep them arrested within 30 days. Earlier, prosecutor's officials took Russian passports from these three Aluton employees and the Russian Embassy, correspondingly, announced a protest note.

Parents of detainees wrote an appeal to president of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, to the Ambassador of this republic in Russia Dmitry Medoyev, and to president of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The action near the Embassy was unquiet. Every now and then, police officer guarding the building came up to the protesters and said that the event was not permitted, but he was told that permission was not required for single pickets. Then the man who presented himself as a chief of security took their appeal statement and promised to hand it over to the Ambassador of South Ossetia.