Mearakishvili considered the refusal to issue a South Ossetian passport to be pressure

South Ossetian activist Tamara Mearakishvili has been unable to obtain a new passport for over a year, preventing her from traveling even within the republic or finding employment. She believes the authorities' actions are linked to her critical comments on social media.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," in February 2024, journalist and activist Tamara Mearakishvili went on a hunger strike, demanding that the South Ossetian Prosecutor General explain his decision to appoint David Gurtsiev as Leningor District Prosecutor, who had prosecuted her in a criminal libel case. By February 13, Mearakishvili reported that the president and the Prosecutor General had not responded to her appeals. Three days later, Mearakishvili ended her hunger strike, having failed to overturn the decision to appoint David Gurtsiev as district prosecutor.

Tamara Mearakishvili  , a South Ossetian activist and former teacher and director of the Children's Art Center in Leningor, was fired for her stance on corruption, according to a biographical note from the "Caucasian Knot."

Tamara Mearakishvili, a resident of Leningor in South Ossetia, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that she has been unable to obtain an internal passport for over a year.

"I wrote to the Minister of Internal Affairs of South Ossetia asking him to explain why they're not issuing me. I received his reply. It states that all questions should be addressed to the State Security Committee. Importantly, I'm renewing my passport, not applying for citizenship. I have South Ossetian citizenship. It's illegal to deprive a citizen of a passport. I'm currently preparing a request to the Chairman of the South Ossetian KGB," she said, noting that she hasn't received Russian citizenship.

According to the interviewee, nothing has changed in her situation since politician Alla Dzhioeva's speech, and she continues to experience difficulties in her daily life.

"Alla Dzhioeva came out in support of me, but nothing has changed. Without a passport, I can't leave the republic. I can't even travel within the district. Because there are border controls in several places. For example, border control won't let me cross from one village to another without a passport. I also haven't been able to see my only daughter for five years. She can't come. Now she's abroad, in Spain. But she can't come because they didn't give her a pass to see me either. And I can't go because I don't have a passport," Mearakishvili said.

I can't register as a sole proprietor. I can't buy a SIM card. I can't go anywhere, I can't work. I want to attend driving school, but they won't accept me without a passport.

She also reported that the lack of a passport creates obstacles to work.

"I can't register as a sole proprietor. I can't buy a SIM card. I can't travel or work. I want to go to driving school, but they won't accept me without a passport. I wanted to go to music school, but that's also impossible. That means I can't study, I can't do business—nothing. And my elderly parents help me with everything. They're sick, and it's hard for them to help me. My mother is 70 years old, she has diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and she has to go to court. The thing is, she transported the goods I sell. I opened a second-hand store a year ago to make ends meet. In Leningor, the prosecutor's office put pressure on the owner of the store from whom we rented the space. And they told me to vacate the premises. There's pressure. We're now in court over this," Mearakishvili explained.

She is confident that the delay in issuing her passport is connected to her active position and criticism of local authorities.

"It's clear, and not just me, but everyone has noted that I'm facing difficulties because of my comments on the district's problems. I speak openly about social and living conditions. I express my dissatisfaction as best I can. They're simply doing everything they can to make me tired of fighting for my rights. Incidentally, today is International Human Rights Day. And in 2007, South Ossetia ratified the Convention on Human Rights. But apparently they want me to shut up, and that's why they're acting out. After all, when the state refuses to issue a passport to a citizen, it's completely illegal. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is breaking the law," Mearakishvili stated.

She hasn't filed a lawsuit yet, but along with her appeal to the KGB of South Ossetia, she wrote to Sergei Kiriyenko, who oversees South Ossetia in the Russian presidential administration.

"Maybe Sergei Vladilenovich will help. I described everything to him in my letter," she said, noting that she was urging Kiriyenko to address the problem of "dead souls" in the district who receive salaries. "And even with higher education, we can't find jobs," Mearakishvili said.

Politician Alla Dzhioeva said she called on South Ossetian authorities to resolve the issue of Tamara Mearakishvili, who is unable to obtain her passport after returning it for re-exchange. "Mearakishvili is livestreaming about the region's problems, which, she says, is causing negative reactions from officials. She intends to take legal action. The pressure must stop," Dzhioeva told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Former South Ossetian parliament member and lawyer Amiran Dyakonov reported that the South Ossetian citizen's passport should have been replaced within one month.

"We have the same legislation in this area as Russia. If you reach a certain age, you bring your passport, it's cancelled, it's no longer valid. You bring it to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to the passport office, and they're obligated to replace your passport within a few weeks—they're not even talking about months—within a few weeks," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

As for officials resisting a person's legal passport renewal, the lawyer says this is subject to administrative liability.

"If a person is not allowed to exchange their passport legally, then their only option is to file a lawsuit," Dyakonov explained.

As a reminder, in December 2024, Mearakishvili filed a complaint with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, stating that South Ossetian parliament member Zaza Driaev had attacked her in Tskhinvali and used force.