Epress.am News from Armenia
Former South Ossetian presidential candidate Alla Dzhioyeva has been described as being in a “serious but stable” condition after being taken to a hospital on Feb. 9, RFE/RL reports.
According to authorities’ version of events, law enforcement officers arrived at Dzhioyeva’s office in the breakaway region’s capital after she had refused to appear before investigators for “questioning as a witness” into the case related to “unrests” outside government building in Tskhinvali on Nov. 30, 2011. According to the chief prosecutor’s office, Dzhioyeva fell ill while talking with a law enforcement officer. According to the same source, she was immediately hospitalized and diagnosed as having experienced a transient ischemic attack, an acute state of highly elevated blood pressure that may lead to a stroke.
Dzhioyeva’s supporters say that masked law enforcement officers raided the opposition’s headquarters, during which Dzhioyeva fell ill. One of the Dzhioyeva’s supporters told Russian news agencies, that law enforcement agencies had sealed off the area around their office, as well as the hospital and are not allowing anyone to visit Dzhioyeva. One supporter told Interfax news agency that she feared Dzhioyeva’s condition was worse than the official diagnosis, adding that the opposition leader was in intensive care in the local hospital.
Meanwhile, acting leader of the breakaway region, Vadim Brovtsev, released a statement saying that Dzhioyeva’s intention to inaugurate herself on Feb. 10 was “actually a call for forceful seizure of power,” Civil Georgia reports.
Brovtsev, whose statement was released after Dzhioyeva was hospitalized, said that he “assume[s] full responsibility to prevent a coup.”
“Violation of laws will be eradicated in the most decisive way. Additional measures will be undertaken to protect law and order and constitutional rights of citizens,” Brovtsev said.
He also said that he would take all the measures needed for holding a “free and fair” repeat presidential election on Mar. 25.
Dzhioyeva was the apparent victor in the second round of South Ossetia’s presidential election in November but the results were overturned.
Dzhioyeva, who believes she is the legitimate winner of the election, had planned to hold her own presidential inauguration on Feb. 10.