(PARIS) - France, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said Monday it was worried about reports of looting, intimidation and destruction of homes in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.

"France expresses its concern about reports of cases of looting, destruction of houses and intimidation of certain populations, notably in the regions of Tskhinvali and Akhalgori," a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters.

Paris "calls on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and the rights of man, to guarantee the protection of civilian populations and to abstain from any provocations," he said.

The Council of Europe, Europe's top human rights body, has said that rights violations committed by both Russia and Georgia must not go unpunished.

Its rights commissioner, Thomas Hammarberg, on Sunday toured areas damaged in fighting between Georgian and Russian forces in South Ossetia, and said after the visit that what had happened there was an "insult to people's human rights."

Russia sent tanks and troops into Georgian territory in response to a Georgian offensive on August 7 to retake South Ossetia.

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