May 20 is annually celebrated in South Ossetia as the Commemoration day of victims of Georgian aggression. 25 years ago the roundabout way nearby Ossetian village Zar became a scene of the atrocity committed by armed forces of Georgia. Refugees driving in a column their way from South to North Ossetia were shot down at point-blank range from an ambush. 33 persons, mostly children, women and elderly, were killed as a result of that barbarous action; about 20 persons were badly wounded.

That was not the first crime committed by Georgian nationalists of those years – there had already been people burned in their homes, people buried alive, people who died of tortures, however, May 20, 1992 became one of the bloodiest dates in the history of South Ossetia.

The crime that astound of its cruelty, as well as other actions aimed to destroy Ossetian nation, remains unpunished to the present day. Despite the swears of Georgian authorities that the criminals would be punished, Georgian law-enforcement agencies failed to make a single attempt to find the organizers and performers of the terrible outrage.

Barbarous shooting of armless, completely innocent refugees didn’t help the nationalistic Georgia to effect the desired result – to hinder the desire of South Ossetian people to determine its historical destiny on its own, to freedom and union of Ossetian nation in North and South Ossetia. Having passed all the way through the most difficult years of struggle, South Ossetia has gained independence after another armed aggression from Georgian side in 2008.

On this Mourning Day we commemorate all those who were killed as a result of genocides of the Ossetian nation organized by nationalistic Georgian authorities in 1920-1921, 1991-1992 and 2008.

The Memory and Mourning Day in South Ossetia is a vivid reminder of how much have our nation paid for its independence and what losses and detriments it went through.

Once again South Ossetia calls for the international community to condemn Georgian authorities guilty of crimes against peace and humanity and call it for responsibility.