Forensic expert in Djabiev's case complains to MPs about investigators' pressure

The certificate on the examination of Inal Djabiev's body was not a death conclusion; and the criminal case for abuse of power during the forensic examination was initiated unreasonably, Zarina Dzagoeva, a forensic expert, stated on June 8, asking South-Ossetian MPs to protect her from criminal prosecution.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 7, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of South Ossetia announced that the forensic expert, Zarina Dzagoeva, was suspected of exceeding her powers. According to investigators, on August 30, 2020, the expert "illegally drew up, based on knowingly false data" and issued a death certificate of Inal Djabiev.

On June 8, Zarina Dzagoeva came to a sitting of the Presidium of the South-Ossetian Parliament and appealed to the MPs for help, explaining that she was under pressure from the investigator, and she intends to apply to the Public Prosecutor General and the Speaker of the Parliament.

She stated that there was no false data in the certificate that she issued. "There is no false information in the certificate. It just contains a preliminary external examination of Djabiev's body; and this document has nothing to do with the conclusion. The issuance of such certificates is a common practice with us; they were issued more than once at investigators' requests," Ms Dzagoeva has stated, emphasizing that she would defend her examination certificate and called on the MPs "to protect her within the framework of the law."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 9, 2021 at 10:21 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.