Rights group says Georgians not protected

TBILISI, Georgia, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Necessary measures to protect citizens weren't taken during the August conflict between Georgia and Russia in August, Amnesty International said Tuesday.

As a result, more than 20,000 ethnic Georgians can't return to their homes in South Ossetia while many people on both sides of the conflict had their houses either pillaged or destroyed, the organization said in its report, "Civilians in the Line of Fire: the Georgia-Russia Conflict." The report, released Tuesday, is based on several research missions to the main areas of the conflict, Amnesty International said.

Evidence gathered for the report also suggests parties committed serious violations of human rights both during the conflict and afterward, Amnesty International said in a news release.

"A new twilight zone has been created along the de facto border between South Ossetia and the rest of Georgia, into which people stray at their peril," said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Program director at Amnesty International. "Looting, shooting, explosions and abductions have all been reported in the last few weeks."

Georgian and Russian officials have accused each other of war crimes and Amnesty International has called for an investigation of the accusations.