South Ossetia: widow of 28-year-old killed in police custody blames president for husband’s death
The widow of 28-year-old Inal Dzhabiev, who was likely tortured to death in a S. Ossetian detention center, blames the president for his death. Anatoli Bibilov met with the relatives of the deceased, but he still refuses to dismiss the Prosecutor General over the case despite the demands of the opposition and public.
“…Inal was killed under your personal control,” wrote Inal Dzhabiev’s widow in her Telegram account, addressing the President of South Ossetia Anatoli Bibilov directly.
The message appeared after Anatoli Bibilov, at a meeting with relatives of Inal Dzhabiev on October 5, said that he did not understand the grounds on which he should dismiss the Prosecutor General.
Bibilov promised all the perpetrators would be severely punished in connection with this case.
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Dzhabiev’s case
Inal Dzhabiev, 28, died on August 28, likely as a result of torture following his arrest on charges of assaulting Interior Minister Igor Naniev.
South Ossetia: part of society demands the resignation of the president and the government following the death of Inal Dzhabiev, allegedly from torture. President promises complete investigation
Nikolai Tskhovrebov, also arrested in the affair, was severely beaten in prison and now cannot walk – probably due to spinal injuries. Initially, he was in the hospital under guard, neither relatives nor visitors were allowed to see him. Later he was released, but charged with attempted murder of the minister.
The third person involved in this case, Gersan Kulumbegov, was also tortured and beaten.
Following protests and several rallies, President Bibilov dismissed the Minister of the MIA, and then, in response to an appeal from the parliament, dismissed the entire government. Five people, police officers, were detained on the case.
However, the protesters and the opposition are demanding the resignation of the president and the Prosecutor General, accusing them of concealing the facts of violence against detainees and prisoners.
Appeal of Dzabiev’s widow
“The President asks on what grounds he should dismiss the prosecutor. And I have another question – on what grounds did you murder Inal?
You announced that you are taking personal control of the investigation into the assassination attempt on Naniev – an attempt in which no one believes even to a 30-percent extent. It means that Inal was killed under your personal control.
You have now taken control of this murder investigation. What could possibly come out of this? Nothing,” writes Oksana Sotieva.
Is Russia the guarantor of Bibilov’s power?
South Ossetian President Anatoli Bibilov benefits from Moscow’s support. A month ago, one of the deputy secretaries of the Russian Security Council, Rashid Nurgaliev, told reporters that he was following the events in the republic and was in contact with Bibilov. Since then, there have been no other comments from him.
The death of Inal Dzhabiev caused a sharp reaction not only in South, but also in North Ossetia. Prominent North Ossetian journalist and blogger Ruslan Totrov compared this case to the case of Vladimir Tskayev, who was tortured and beaten in the Vladikavkaz police in 2015.
According to Totrov, the impression is that the “sadists and butchers” in Tskhinval and Vladikavkaz acted according to the same instructions. At the same time, Totrov noted that the population of South Ossetia was able to exert greater pressure on their authorities.
