Alan Lokhov, detained in Vladikavkaz for organizing protest action, released from IVS

Yesterday, on January 5, the world champion in freestyle wrestling Alan Lokhov, who had been sentenced to five days in jail for organizing a march against arrests of the staff of the North-Ossetian office of Alla Djioeva, a former candidate for presidency of South Ossetia, was released from the Vladikavkaz temporary detention facility (known as IVS) of the North-Ossetia Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

Earlier, Elina Marzoeva, a member of the above staff, who was also sentenced to 15 days in jail as the organizer of the peaceful march, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the athlete Alan Lokhov was no organizer of the action; and she was at a loss why he had been detained. Mr Lokhov has also confirmed this information.

Also yesterday, on January 5, Olesya, a sister of the detained Dzerassa Khugaeva said that her sister and Elina Marzoeva had gone on hunger strike in protest against their arrest. However, the MIA has refuted this information.

"The information that Dzerassa Khugaeva and Elina Marzoeva, detained for organizing an unsanctioned rally in Vladikavkaz on December 30 against arrests of the staff of the former South-Ossetian presidential candidate Alla Djioeva, went on hunger strike is not true," the press-service of the North-Ossetian MIA has reported today.

Besides, the MIA has added that the detained ladies are kept not at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), but in a special detention centre intended for persons detained in the administrative order.

According to the above press service, currently both detained women receive hot meals from the canteen; besides, their relatives and friends bring food parcels to them.