A human rights activist from South Osetia states that she is denied meetings with her son who is in custody

Fatima Margieva, a human rights activist from South Osetia whose son is currently in prison in Tshkinval, states that although Dmitry Kaloev in connection with the state of his health had already been taken to a resuscitation unit of a hospital she has not yet got a permission to visit him. Margieva is going to appeal to Russian human rights activists for help.

Dmitry Kaloev has been staying in Tshkinval prison since on March, 12, 2010, criminal proceedings were started against him on accusation of illegal drug traffic. According to Margieva, her son had nothing to do with narcotic drugs. The human rights activist considers her son a political prisoner.

"He is not on the books (medical - note by "Caucasian Knot") and there has been no medical examination thought a protocol of a medical examination No 367 is referred to in the case but the document itself is lacking. The protocol was not produced upon the request of Lana Khachirova, my son's attorney, and during the trial judge Ludmila Gioeva and an investigator of the prosecutor's office acknowledged that they had not got such a protocol", Margieva said.

The human rights activist emphasizes that for the whole eight months she has not got a single permission to see her son and has not received the indictment though the case has been at bar for over six months.

"This June my son solicited for receiving the indictment, for release on his own recognizance for the period of trial. He has also solicited for defense of his rights together with his attorney Lana Khachirova and civil activists but none of his applications was granted", Margieva said.

According to Margieva, Dmitry Kaloev was recently taken to a resuscitation unit of a hospital. "We do not know whether it was an attempt of suicide or poisoning him. He is in grave depression. Valery Gobozov, chief of the prison, gave a special order concerning him: to prohibit his meetings with anyone", Margieva said.

As the chief of the prison said in a telephone talk, there had been no attempts of poisoning Kaloev.

In reply to the question of a reporter of "Caucasian Knot" why Dmitry Kaloev is not allowed to have meetings with his relatives Gobozov said that according to the law, a convict had no right of meetings before the beginning of trial.