Saturday, 11 February 2012Alla Jioyeva, an opposition leader in breakaway South Ossetia who was hospitalized after law enforcement officers raided her office on Thursday evening, is in "serious but stable" condition, an official news agency in Tskhinvali, RES, reported citing a doctor from a hospital's intensive-care unit where Jioyeva is being currently treated.
According to this same report on Friday morning, Jioyeva "is conscious and can talk"; the doctor also said, that possibility of Jioyeva's transfer to a hospital in the Russian Federation was being considered.
There have been conflicting reports about Jioyeva's condition and diagnosis. According to official reports Jioyeva was hospitalized with hypertensive crisis after the law enforcement officers tried to interrogate her "as a witness".
Her supporters, however, said that Jioyeva suffered a stroke and was in a critical condition, unconscious. Her supporters have also alleged that when the law enforcement officers raided the office, Jioyeva was hit with a rifle butt on the head; the breakaway region's law enforcement agencies have strongly denied the allegation.
Jioyeva's office and the local hospital where the opposition leader was treated remained sealed off by the law enforcement officers, according to the reports from Tskhinvali. RES news agency reported, citing the doctor, that Jioyeva's husband remained by her side.
Alla Jioyeva, a former school teacher and ex-minister of education of the breakaway region, whose victory in presidential runoff last November was annulled, was planning to inaugurate herself on February 10.
In late January she said, that she was quitting post-election deal with the authorities and boycotting March 25 repeat election because considered herself as a legally elected new president of South Ossetia.
Acting leader of the breakaway region, Vadim Brovtsev, released a statement on late Thursday evening saying that Jioyeva's intention to inaugurate herself on February 10 was "actually a call for forceful seizure of power".
There are speculations in Tskhinvali that ex-leader of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity was behind the raid on Jioyeva's office. Jioyeva's supporters said that employees of "state protection service", which is believed to be still under Kokoity's de facto control, were seen among the law enforcement officer who arrived in Jioyeva's office to take her for "interrogation as a witness" in connection to post-election street protest rallies late last year. Although Kokoity stepped down from presidency as part of the post-election deal, handing over authority to PM Brovtsev, he remains a chairman of the breakaway region's ruling party and is believed to have maintained significant influence over the region's authorities. |
Saturday, 11 February 2012
Georgian Times
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