16:55, 25 January 2026

The widows of Dzhabiev and Tsakaev are dissatisfied with the court rulings on their husbands' deaths after torture.

Oksana Sotieva declined to appeal the sentence of the security forces, which was mitigated by the Supreme Court of South Ossetia, despite believing the ruling in the case of her husband, Inal Dzhabiev, who died in a police station in Tskhinvali, to be unfair. Vladimir Tskaev's widow, Zemfira, has been seeking punishment for those involved in her husband's death for over 10 years after his arrest in Vladikavkaz. The case is being heard again in court.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the Supreme Court of South Ossetia considered the appeals against the verdict in the case of Inal Dzhabiev's death. The court mitigated the sentences of the police officers convicted in the torture and death of Inal Dzhabiev and released one of them. The court's decision came as a surprise to Dzhabiev's widow and her lawyer, who had demanded a harsher sentence.

On October 2, 2025, the Tskhinvali City Court found all defendants guilty in the case of Inal Dzhabiev's death . The verdict was appealed by Dzhabiev's family lawyer, the defendants' side, and the South Ossetian Prosecutor General's Office. The security officials directly charged with Inal Dzhabiev's death essentially escaped punishment for it; actual prison terms were given to those accused of torturing Gersan Kulumbegov and Nikolai Tskhovrebov, who were detained along with Dzhabiev.

Inal Dzhabiev's widow Oksana Sotieva stated that the case into her husband's death has been closed. "The verdict has also entered into legal force. We consider it unfair, but we will not appeal it further," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Dzhabiev's widow does not know the fate of another defendant, Atsamaz Naniev.

"They tell us he is wanted," she noted. Sotieva.

At the end of 2024, it was reported that Atsamaz Naniev, a defendant in the case, signed a contract to serve in the Russian army, and his trial was suspended. However, in October 2025, it became known that Atsamaz Naniev was wanted: during the investigation, he managed to leave the country despite a travel ban. His lawyer reported that Naniev is in the war zone in Ukraine. The case against him has been separated into separate proceedings.

In her opinion, this case has not had a positive impact on the work of law enforcement agencies in South Ossetia or on the attention in the Republic to the actions of security forces against detainees.

"On the contrary, they have become more emboldened and feel safer," Sotieva noted.

The victims' lawyer, Fatima Gatagonova, expressed a similar opinion. She emphasized that this case has failed to improve the difficult relationship between the police and the public.

"They have gained a remarkable sense of impunity," Gatagonova said.

Gatagonova confirmed that they have dropped any further appeal of the verdict.

"Because we consider this a completely dead issue. It will not yield any results. And I just didn’t want to finish off Oksana’s nervous system. "We simply need to adopt a stance of self-preservation now," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The lawyer also confirmed that nothing is known about Atsamaz Naniev's whereabouts.

"Nobody is interested. For some reason, everyone thinks we should assume the powers of the security forces and establish his whereabouts," Gatagonova noted.

Zemfira, the widow of Tsakaev, who died under similar circumstances in Vladikavkaz, noted that both were killed in government custody, in police stations.

Earlier in North Ossetia, the death of Vladimir Tsakaev, a resident of Vladikavkaz, after he was detained by security forces caused a wide public outcry. He died after being interrogated at the Vladikavkaz police station on the night of November 1, 2015. The investigation into his death lasted more than two years. According to his widow, Zemfira Tsakaeva, the defendants' defense delayed the trial in every possible way – of the 143 hearings that were scheduled to take place, 73 were postponed due to the defendants and their lawyers. A verdict was passed in the case, but the Supreme Court of North Ossetia softened the sentences of the security forces, and on March 7, 2023, the Fifth Cassation Courtoverturned the verdict of the security forces in the case of the death of Vladimir Tsakaev and sent the case for a new trial to the Leninsky District Court of Vladikavkaz. Details of the investigation into Tsakaev's death are provided in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Tsakaev Case: Death After Police Interrogation".

As for punishing the perpetrators, the trial in Tsakaev's case is not yet complete.

"And ours haven't been punished yet; the trial is ongoing, and I have a hearing tomorrow. At the request of the accused, the appeals court overturned the sentence for everyone in 2023. This is due to procedural violations in court and with the judge. Then the case went to court, was sent back for further investigation in 2023, and from further investigation it was sent back to court, and now witnesses are being questioned. So our case is not over yet," she said.

The criminal case into the death of Vladimir Tsakaev, The case of Tsakaev, who died after being questioned by police in 2015, was sent to the Leninsky District Court of Vladikavkaz for further consideration in July 2025. In 2023, by decision of the same court, the case was returned to the prosecutor's office to remove obstacles to its consideration, since the indictment was drawn up in gross violation of the requirements of criminal procedure law. The case was returned to court after the prosecutor's office corrected all violations and drew up a new indictment, Krylia TV reported on July 12, 2025.

According to Tsakaev's widow, Oksana Sotieva's outrage at the unfair verdict is understandable.

"Of course, I don't think these are sentences," says Zemfira.

She believes that Tsakaev's case had a certain influence on the behavior of the police in North Ossetia.

"Thank God, "There haven't been any similar cases in 10 years. I think there are unlawful measures, but they haven't been published anywhere. I can't judge right now whether they're being used or not, but there have been no complaints," Zemfira said.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420229