Activist Timur Tskhurbati beaten up in Tskhinvali

Timur Tskhurbati, an activist, was hospitalized after being attacked during the funeral of Inal Djabiev in Tskhinvali; his cheekbone and nose were broken, Tskhurbati himself has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 17, in Tskhinvali, a service car with Igor Naniev, the head of the South-Ossetian Ministry of Internal Affairs, was shelled. On August 28, Inal Djabiev, who was detained within the case of the above attempt on the life of the MIA boss, died. His death caused a wide public outcry; on the same day, residents of Tskhinvali went out to a spontaneous rally, at which they demanded the resignation of the head of South Ossetia. On August 31, Inal Djabiev's funeral took place in Tskhinvali and turned into a crowded procession; and in the evening a new protest action began in the city.

Timur Tskhurbati himself reported about his beating in his Facebook page. "People came up to me and blamed me for writing something on the Facebook and in social networks. <...> I was attacked, first by a woman; she apparently wanted me to hit her. Of course, I didn't do it, but there were people who allegedly stood up for her, and as a result I have my nose and cheekbone broken," the activist said in a video posted on August 31 on the Facebook.

Tskhurbati has called on residents of South Ossetia to continue their protests. "I appeal to you. If we remain silent, it will continue, it will never end. If we don't appeal to the law, it will continue and tomorrow they won't break my cheekbone – we'll bury another young guy. I wrote an application to the police. Let them sort it out. I am ready to answer for every word I say," Mr Tskhurbati has emphasized.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 1, 2020 at 08:37 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.