16 January, 2012 - 11:02

Two Journalists and One Human Rights Defender in Vladikavkaz Penitentiary

Goga Aptsiauri, Gori
პატიმრობა

Ossetian journalists and human rights defenders serve their sentence in Vladikavkaz prison.  Journalist Alina Mirzoeva worked for the headquarters of the leader of de facto republic of South Ossetia opposition Alla Jioeva.  Analyst Soslan Kokoev is the founder of Internet publication Uasamonga and Ruslan Makaev is a well-known Ossetian human rights defender.  Soslan Kokoev was detained in Vladikavkaz during November 2011 protest rallies in Tskhinvali and Marzoeva and Makaev were taken in in the beginning of January 2012.  They have been charged with 15-day imprisonment for organizing unsanctioned demonstration. 

Peaceful protest rally was really held in the capital of North Ossetia on December 30 last year.  Rally participants protested against imprisonment of the detained supporters of Jioeva.  Law enforcers detained 27 more during the Vladikavkaz protest rally.  Majority of the detained were soon released, part paid fines and four have been imprisoned.  On January 2 Vladikavkaz First Court sentenced journalist Elina Marzoeva and well-known Ossetian human rights defender Ruslan Makaev to 15 days of imprisonment.  The two do not plead guilty and claim they have not violated the law.  Elina Marzoeva went on a hunger strike in the isolator, although stopped it due to requests from relatives and her lawyer. 

Editor of XXI Century newspaper, civil activist Temur Tskhovrebov also participated in the same rally in Vladikavkaz who told us that the demonstration looked more like a group walking than a protest rally, as the participants did not hold any posters and did not shout any mottos.  Ruslan Makaev’s daughter, advocate Elena Makaeva claims the same.  According to her, Vladikavkaz riot police detained rally participants illegally and many procedure violations have taken place. 

Vladikavkaz protest rally was organized in solidarity to Alla Jioeva’s supporters detained earlier.  Among the detained was the founder of Internet publication Uasamonga, political analyst Soslan Kokoev.  He is accused of heavier crimes – keeping of narcotics and firearms. 

Opposition supporters claim that after November protest rallies when the society came out to the streets requesting recognition of Alla Jioeva’s victory at presidential elections, the repressions against those with different opinion started and continue until today.  The given process started in Tskhinvali, by the government of Kokoiti when Jioeva’s supporters were being detained and beaten; now the process continues in Vladikavkaz.  An agreement between former president Eduard Kokoiti and opposition leader Alla Jioeva did not ease the tension.  One of the articles of the given agreement provided for the release of political prisoners, but it was not fulfilled.  Experts believe the epicenter of political opposition has moved from Tskhinvali to Vladikavkaz, which is not a good background on the threshold of presidential elections scheduled in Russia for spring.  

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