DECREE ISSUED BY THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR on Situation in the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast and the Measures for Stabilization of the Situation in the Region

1. Having heard and discussed the information of the People’s Deputies of he USSR visiting the Georgian SSR, the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast and the North Ossetian Autonomous Republic, the Supreme Council of the USSR notes that the measures provided in the Decree of the President of the USSR of 7 January 1991 “on certain legal acts adopted in December 1990 by the Georgian SSR” haven’t been realized. Failure of the implementation of aforementioned Decree entailed the further complication of the situation in the South Ossetia and its immediate vicinity. The number of victims of the conflict is increasing; A stream of refugees of both, Ossetians and Georgians never comes to end. The city Tskhinvali, blocked by illegal military formations is without electricity and heating. The population of the city and the autonomous oblast suffers from shortage of food and basic commodities. The property of citizens, as well as several state institutions and public organizations is either given to arson or robbed. The historical and cultural monuments have been outraged.

Ongoing events in the South Ossetia are the gross violation of the Constitutions of the USSR, Georgian SSR and international norms and human rights.

2. To recommend to the Supreme Council of Georgia to consider announcement of the regime of the state of emergency on the territory of the South Ossetia with participation of the troops of the Ministry of Interior; to secure withdrawal and disband of all illegal military formations; to stop illegal trafficking of arms on the territory of the republic; to raise the blockade from the city Tskhinvali and its neighborhood; to take immediate measures in order to stop bloodshed and provide the population with electricity, heating, food products and medicines.

3. Recognizing the sovereign rights of the Georgian SSR on its territorial integrity, to offer to the Supreme Council and the government of Georgia to start expeditiously the negotiations with the representatives of the South Ossetia through the facilitation of the Supreme Council of the USSR in order to restore state structures in the Oblast functioning before 9 December 1990 as well s for the normalization of the political situation and ensuring the public security.

4. To entrust the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR with a task of taking necessary measures for giving a life support to the population of the South Ossetia and providing adequate support to the North Ossetian ASSR and the Georgian SSR in connection with accommodation of refugees.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of the USSR A. Lukianov

20 February 1991

(Bulletin of the Congress of the People’s Deputies of the USSR and the supreme Council of the USSR, 1991, # 9, p. 218-219)