New examination in Djabiev's case appointed without widow's consent

The South-Ossetian General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has appointed a new examination in Inal Djabiev's case; it will be conducted in Moscow. Experts who have already made their conclusions will have to justify their conclusions, Oksana Sotieva, Inal's widow, has explained.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since December 4, 2020, relatives and sympathetic activists of Inal Djabiev, who died after detention, have been holding protest actions in the central square of Tskhinvali. Relatives are dissatisfied with the course of investigation. The Djabiev's death and the protests triggered thereby have led to a political crisis in South Ossetia – parliament sessions are boycotted; the budget for the current year has not been adopted; and the government's powers have not been confirmed.

"I gave no consent to the third examination. Nevertheless, we were notified that the documents had been sent to Moscow. When the hearings are scheduled, our expert from South Ossetia, Zarina Dzagoeva, and the experts from the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), whose signatures are under the results of the Russian forensic examination, will be invited to Moscow. Each expert will have to justify his/her conclusions," said the widow.

Inal Djabiev's family has also studied the recommendations of the initiative group of politicians. "Yes, we've read their recommendations, but I can't say that this list of advice can somehow affect our current situation. They are impracticable in a short time; and it's difficult for me to imagine how the authorities will enforce these recommendations," Oksana Sotieva has commented.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 1, 2021 at 08:45 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.