The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is seeking the arrests of three men wanted on suspicion of committing war crimes during the Russia-Georgia war in 2008.

According to a statement, judges belonging to the international tribunal said, "There were reasonable grounds to believe that each of these three suspects bears responsibility for war crimes." 

What are the men being sought for and who are they?

The ICC said the warrants relate to conduct during the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia. Civilians perceived to be ethnically Georgian were arrested in South Ossetia and were allegedly "detained mistreated, and kept in harsh detention conditions" at a facility in Tskhinvali.

The detainees were then understood to have been used as a bargaining tool by Russia and the South Ossetian authorities in return for prisoners, detainees and the bodies of Russian servicemen.

Its believed around 170 people were arrested and held at the facility known as the "Isolator."

Two of the suspects sought are Russian nationals identified as Mikhail Mayramovich Mindzaev and Gamlet Guchmazov.

According to the warrants of arrest, Mindzaev was previously a senior police officer with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and is alleged to have taken part in unlawful confinement, torture and inhuman treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, hostage-taking, and unlawful transfer of civilians.

Guchmazov was head of the detention facility and is alleged to have been involved in unlawful confinement, torture and inhuman treatment, outrages upon personal dignity, hostage-taking, and unlawful transfer of civilians.

The third suspect, David Georgiyevich Sanakoev, who is a Georgian national, was a presidential representative for human rights of the South Ossetian administration and is alleged to have been involved in hostage-taking and unlawful transfer of civilians.

Russia-Georgia conflict

In August 2008, Russia's military intervened in Georgia's conflict with a pro-Russian militia in South Ossetia.

The European Union managed to mediate a ceasefire to end the conflict which claimed hundreds of lives and displaced tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians.

In 2016, The Hague launched an investigation into allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes, which involved murder, forced removal of people and persecution, attacks targeting civilians, wilful killing and attacks against peacekeepers.

In January 2021, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found Russia committed abuses in areas seized from Georgia in 2008.

The ECHR said that during this time Russia had later held control over separatist regions and was responsible for ill-treatment and acts of torture against Georgian prisoners of war.

This included, said the ECHR, the "inhuman and degrading treatment" of 160 detained Georgian civilians. They were held in crowded confinement for more than two weeks in August 2008

kb/sms (Reuters, AP)