Mearakishvili Rejects South Ossetian President's Accusation and Goes on a "Dry" Hunger Strike

Georgian citizen Tamara Mearakishvili, imprisoned in South Ossetia on charges of "espionage," has gone on a "dry" hunger strike: she is now refusing not only food but also water and medication. Her lawyer, Alan Bazzaev, who visited her, reported this, noting his client's deteriorating health.

He added that doctors in the Tskhinvali pretrial detention center are trying to persuade the prisoner to end her hunger strike, but she refuses, protesting her innocence. According to the lawyer, Mearakishvili has lost approximately 10 kg. He emphasized that the next 10 days could be critical: a "dry hunger strike" could cause irreversible processes in her body, including organ failure.

"She says she has committed no crimes and considers herself a personal prisoner of President Alan Gagloev." "I do not intend to end my hunger strike until my release," Bazzaev stated.

Tamara Mearakishvili commented on South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev's accusation that she received funding from abroad. She claimed she represented South Ossetia at international events and received a monetary certificate for defending her rights. The document in question was a document she received in 2018 from the Dutch Embassy through the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the self-proclaimed republic presented the corresponding "Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs certificate" at a press conference. He stated that the investigation has "facts and documents confirming her involvement in the charges."

Tamara Mearakishvili, who demanded a meeting with Gagloev and was detained before her announced solo picket, is in pretrial detention. She faces 10 to 20 years in prison on charges of espionage for Georgia. After her arrest, she went on a hunger strike.

Последние новости
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
Society
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
30 October 2026

In Khasavyurt, 15-year-old Maryam Akavova rescued a six-year-old child from a Lada Priora that had caught fire. On October 27, the ninth-grade student was walking past a parked car when she noticed a boy’s head sticking out of a window. Upon getting closer, she saw that the glove compartment inside the vehicle was already on fire.
Human rights
"We’ve been killed": The newspaper where Anna Politkovskaya worked announces its forced closure
30 October 2026

Russia’s *Novaya Gazeta* is ceasing operations. On November 9, the editorial team plans to vacate its office in the center of Moscow, shut down its servers, and publish its final issue. The journalists announced this decision on October 30 in a statement titled "We’ve been killed," citing pressure from Russian authorities and security services, eviction from their premises, and the blocking of their reader-donation system.
Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
Society
Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
30 October 2026

Dagestan is considering a complete ban on the retail sale of electronic cigarettes and the liquids used in them. The republic’s People’s Assembly has approved, in the first reading, a bill that would impose a five-year restriction on the sale of such products throughout the region. The initiative was put forward by the Speaker of the Parliament, Zaur Askenderov.
Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an
Politics
Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an "Aliyev-Style" Constitution
30 October 2026

The Armenian authorities have no intention of adopting a Basic Law dictated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The discussion concerns the development of a new Constitution, which would require the approval of the republic’s own citizens, stated Ruben Rubinyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during a briefing on October 30.