"Wild Wild Tskhinval": Brother of South Ossetian president organized attack on his opponents
Government-level crime in South Ossetia
In South Ossetia, friends of Alan Gagloev’s brother, the current president, opened fire on supporters of former president Anatoly Bibilov. The attack took place in broad daylight on a busy street in Tskhinval. According to numerous eyewitnesses, while the president’s brother did not fire any shots, he directed the “operation” and later collected evidence, including shell casings.
This isn’t the first time the president’s brother has been involved in such “clashes.” Local residents and experts complain that under Alan Gagloev’s two-year presidency, Tskhinval has turned into the Wild West.
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Key figures
To avoid confusion amidst familial ties and political factions, here are the main (direct and indirect) participants in this drama:
Alan Gagloev: Current president of South Ossetia
Alexander (Alik) Gagloev: His brother with a significant criminal background (both past and possibly present)
Anatoly Bibilov: Former president and founder of the current opposition party “United Ossetia”
Brothers Sergey and Lev Kabisov: Former high-ranking officials under Bibilov who were sidelined after a change in power.
Wedding brawl
As reported by JAMnews sources, it all began on July 13th at a wedding attended by supporters of both presidents. At one point, a supporter of Alan Gagloev, boxing coach Vadim Kochiev, began swearing at the “United Ossetia” party and Anatoly Bibilov. This angered Sergey Kabisov, leading to a physical altercation.
“Kochiev threatened Sergey Kabisov with a weapon and beat him. Sergey went home, changed clothes, and went to find his attacker, who was already at another wedding. Another fight broke out there. Eventually, both were taken to the police station and urged to reconcile.
The next day, Sergey took his brother Lev and a friend and went to a pre-arranged meeting with Gagloev’s supporters to resolve the conflict,” our source recounts.
However, according to eyewitnesses, about 20 armed men from Alexander Gagloev’s circle were waiting for the unarmed Kabisov brothers at the meeting place. Clearly not interested in reconciliation, they began insulting and threatening them. Alexander Gagloev himself shouted, “You are Bibilov’s people, get out of Ossetia!”
The “Gagloev supporters” then moved from words to actions, starting to shoot from their rifles.
“They fired shots over their heads and at their legs. Both Kabisov brothers were wounded in the legs. The police did not arrive at the scene, and did not intervene in the conflict. People say that Alik Gagloev collected the spent cartridges lying on the ground and calmly left the scene with his friends.”
The wounded Kabisov brothers were taken to a local hospital, where they received first aid and were advised to leave for North Ossetia (Russia) to ensure their safety, as the hospital staff could not provide more qualified medical care or ensure their security.
“No statement, no case”
In response to the recent events, the Central Committee of the “Unified Ossetia” party stated that over the past two years, South Ossetia has become a place of shootouts, murders, and gang-style confrontations.
“The level of criminality is skyrocketing at an incredible pace. During the election debates, incumbent president Alan Gagloev declared his intention to combat crime, whether it involves his brother or anyone else. But what do we see in practice? The republic is descending into chaos, into gangsterism, reminiscent of the turbulent 90s,” the party’s statement said.
Pointing out the persecution of party members by the government and its criminal elements, “Unified Ossetia” called on law enforcement agencies to investigate the incident and hold all responsible parties accountable.
“And we await a response, primarily from president Alan Gagloev,” the party added.
Official media reported that the president instructed law enforcement agencies to “investigate the incident.” However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not initiate a criminal case on the grounds that the Kabisov brothers did not file a formal complaint with the police.
The Kabisov brothers themselves have refused to comment to journalists, but according to their close associates, they simply do not believe in justice and see no point in turning to the police.
Some experts share a similar view, believing that surveillance camera footage capturing the attack will be confiscated and destroyed, and that the president’s brother and other participants in the attack will once again escape punishment.
This has happened before.
Criminal circle
Alik Gagloev has a reputation as a criminal figure in South Ossetia. In 2020, he was even suspected of involvement in a triple homicide.
Alik Gagloev’s inner circle primarily consists of individuals whose names frequently appear in the criminal chronicles. For instance, one of his close friends, Khokh Gabaraev, in 2021 faced accusations in a bizarre and brutal crime – kidnapping a person and subjecting them to torture using an Argentine boa constrictor.
However, since Alan Gagloev came to power, Alik’s friends have consistently evaded accountability for their deeds.
According to local experts, this operates under a well-established scheme: after committing crimes and violations, Alik Gagloev’s friends confess to law enforcement, who subsequently release them.
“The impunity enjoyed by the president’s brother and his group has led to a sharp increase in crime and criminal activities,” say residents of Tskhinval.
By the way, eyewitnesses claim that Khokh Gabaraev was one of those who fired at the Kabisov brothers.
Sergei Kabisov, the victim in this incident, also has a history that doesn’t align with law-abiding citizenship. Several years ago, while serving as Deputy Minister of Defense of South Ossetia, he assaulted Vladikavkaz journalist Ruslan Totrov. This incident sparked widespread outrage and significantly impacted the rating of then-president Anatoly Bibilov.
Ruslan Totrov pursued legal action against Sergei Kabisov, leading to his accountability, after which Totrov left the country.
However, upon learning of the attack on the Kabisov brothers, Totrov condemned the shooters and called for reconciliation and unity between “Gagloev’s” and “Bibilov’s” factions:
“I strongly condemn today’s gangster-style brawl. Our salvation lies only in unity, not in a policy of constant discord. We must rise above our internal conflicts and at least stop shedding Ossetian blood ourselves.”
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