Tamara Mearakishvili shared details of her charges and arrest in South Ossetia

Ossetian activist Tamara Mearakishvili stated that she was persecuted in South Ossetia on charges of espionage for posting a photo on Instagram of a cell phone tower. According to the prosecution, the tower could have been used by intelligence agencies or could have been a target for them.

Mearakishvili said that after her arrest and the beginning of her hunger strike, the prison warden tried to stop her protest. At the clinic where she was taken, she faced threats and attempts to dissuade her from continuing her hunger strike. However, according to Mearakishvili, she would rather die awaiting trial than spend years fighting false charges of espionage.

The activist reported that she was taken to the village of Ergneti and handed over to the Georgian side, after which, at the request of the authorities, she was placed in a hospital in Gori.

As a reminder, contact with the ethnic Georgian Mearakishvili was lost on December 22, 2025. Shortly before, she informed friends that unknown individuals had broken into her apartment in Tskhinvali through the balcony. Security forces had previously been seen near the apartment, questioning neighbors and knocking on the door.

On December 24, the Tskhinvali City Court remanded Mearakishvili in custody. Georgian activists called the case fabricated and called on the Georgian authorities to intervene on her behalf. Shortly before her arrest, Tamara Mearakishvili, who had been demanding a meeting with South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev, announced a solo picket. The activist was charged with "espionage," for which she faced 10 to 20 years in prison.

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.