Inal Dzhabiev's mother considered the verdict in his case unfair.

The security officials directly charged with Inal Dzhabiev's death effectively escaped punishment; the defendants were given actual prison terms for torturing Gersan Kulumbegov and Nikolai Tskhovrebov, who were detained with him. The victims intend to file a cassation appeal.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on October 2, the Tskhinvali City Court found guilty all defendants in the case of Inal Dzhabiev's death. Five of them were sentenced to terms ranging from three to five years in prison: three (Dzhumber Bibilov, Alan Bagayev, and Andrei Dzhioyev) were arrested in the courtroom, and two others were given credit for time spent in custody. The court imposed fines on two former security officials, which they were released from due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. After the verdict was announced, about 10 relatives of the convicted came out to the central square in Tskhinvali.

The Tskhinvali City Court hearing, at which the panel of judges announced the verdict on October 2 in the high-profile murder case of Inal Dzhabiev, was scheduled for 5:00 PM. The trial generated little public or media interest: no announcements were published in the media or on social media, and no parliamentarians, politicians, or public figures paid attention, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The court declared the hearing closed. Only trial participants were allowed into the building, including Inal Dzhabiev's widow, Oksana Sotieva, and his mother, Maya Tsiskadze. All the defendants' relatives who attended the hearing awaited the verdict outside. The hearing itself lasted no more than 20 minutes.

Only four of the defendants exited the courthouse through the main entrance: Marat Khugayev, Irbeg Slanov, Sergei Kozonov, and Zaur Gogichayev. The remaining three—Dzhumber Bibilov, Andrei Dzhioyev, and Alan Bagayev—were taken into custody in the courtroom after the verdict was announced. Dzhumber Bibilov received the longest sentence—five years—and was also banned from public service or positions involving the organizational and administrative functions of a government official. Andrei Dzhioyev and Alan Bagayev received three years and ten months each. These sentences include time already served during the preliminary investigation, so they will serve less than a year in prison.

Another defendant, Atsamaz Naniev, the main figure in this case, remains wanted: during the investigation, he managed to leave the country despite a travel ban. His lawyer reported that Naniev signed a contract and left for the war zone in Ukraine. The case against him has been separated into separate proceedings.

After leaving the courthouse, participants in the courtroom were confused and had little to say: according to them, they were only able to partially understand the judge's speech.

Among the relatives of the convicted, angry shouts and crying were heard, as well as threats to "bring Naniev here and tear him to pieces" - likely a reference to Igor Naniev, who served as Minister of Internal Affairs in 2020. The relatives of the convicted behaved hostilely and aggressively towards journalists; it was not possible to speak with them.

According to information published on the website of the state news agency "Res," all actual sentences were handed down to defendants in the torture cases involving Gersan Kulumbegov and Nikolai Tskhovrebov, who were arrested along with Inal Dzhabiev. They survived and testified, naming those who tortured them. Five defendants were charged with the case related to Inal Dzhabiev's death: Dzhioev, Bagaev, Slanov, Gogichaev, and Khugaev. All of them were fined 100,000 rubles in connection with the Dzhabiev case, but the court immediately released them from payment "due to the expiration of the criminal liability period."

Inal Dzhabiev's widow, Oksana Sotieva, noted that she could not comment until she read the verdict, as much remained unclear after the trial. Fatima Gatagonova, the representative for the injured party, stated that she would definitely file a cassation appeal against the court's decision. The last to leave the courthouse was Inal Dzhabiev's mother, Maya Tsiskadze. She was also outraged and stated that she didn't understand anything.

"May all those who sentenced Inal's death receive the same amount of justice in life. I wish that for them," she said.

Later in the evening, information appeared on social media that about 10 relatives of the convicted, who had gathered in the central square of Tskhinvali, were demanding a meeting with the president.

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