MIA: Djioeva's supporters detained in Vladikavkaz to be brought to administrative responsibility

In Vladikavkaz, the capital of South Ossetia, 27 persons were detained in the course of a protest action against earlier arrests of supporters of Alla Djioeva, a former presidential candidate. Some of the detainees have already been released, said Alla Akhbolova, the head of the press service of the local Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that supporters of Djioeva had announced their intention to hold a protest rally. On December 29, Kazbek Bekmurzaev, Deputy Minister of Interior of North Ossetia, announced, referring to a letter from the administration of Vladikavkaz, that the peaceful march to the building of the SIZO (pre-trial prison), scheduled for December 30, was not sanctioned; and any attempts to hold the action would be stopped, and its participants would be brought to responsibility.

All the detainees were taken to the Zaterechny OVD (Interior Division) of Vladikavkaz and are now writing explanations. They will be brought to administrative responsibility. Elina Marzoeva, the organizer of the action, is not among the detainees, said Alla Akhbolova.

Elina Marzoeva told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she was also kept at the Zaterechny OVD; no accusations had been presented to her. Tamara Bigaeva, a correspondent of the Agency "15th Region", whose detention was reported by the "Caucasian Knot", was released.

The aim of the action was to protest against detentions and arrests of Alla Djioeva's supporters in North Ossetia. Let us remind you that five supporters of the former presidential candidate were detained in South Ossetia in early December. They are Vladislav Khugaev, Vladislav Kaloev, Robert Tabuev, Taimuraz Khugaev and Soslan Kokoev, who is the founder of the website "Uasamonga". All of them are accused of possessing drugs and weapons. On December 27, Genry Kachmazov, the administrator of the above website, was also detained.

The staff of the North-Ossetian office of Alla Djioeva sent an appeal to Arthur Akhmetkhanov, Minister of Interior of North Ossetia, asking him to look into the situation with the arrest of staff activists, regarding the arrest as politically motivated. However, according to Kazbek Bekmurzov, the arrests of Djioeva's supporters in Vladikavkaz were associated with criminal offences, not with their political activities.