Journalist Totrov reports he was beaten up for criticizing Bibilov

Ruslan Totrov, a journalist and a blogger, said he was beaten up by two men who expressed their anger about his critical publications about the President of South Ossetia. The local authorities treat the incident as a provocation.

Ruslan Totrov said that he was attacked in Vladikavkaz. In the video posted on January 21 on the "Ossetia" Telegram channel he demonstrates his broken lip and front teeth.

"Two men came to our office and saying "You shouldn't write nasty things and untruth about my brother Anatoly Bibilov, President of South Ossetia," inflicted such slight cosmetic damage to me. I'm alive; everything is OK," Ruslan Totrov has stated.

Policemen have already begun studying the circumstances of the attack on Ruslan Totrov, says the publication of the "Osnova" (Basis) Telegram channel.

South-Ossetian authorities see opposition's intrigues behind the attack on Ruslan Totrov. Dina Gassieva, the press secretary of South-Ossetian president, has stated that the presidential administration treats the incident as a provocation and "hopes for a prompt clarification of all the circumstances of the attack on the journalist."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 21, 2021 at 08:23 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.