Zalina Lalieva
Zalina Lalieva | |
|---|---|
| South Ossetian Minister of Justice | |
| In office 2017–2022 | |
| Preceded by | Marina Bestayeva (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Oleg Gagloev |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Independent |
Zalina Lalieva is a lawyer from the small partially recognized Caucasian republic of South Ossetia who served as President Anatoly Bibilov's Minister of Justice from 2017 to 2022.
Biography
[edit]Lalieva worked as a lawyer for the Parliament of South Ossetia since 2005.[1]
Minister of Justice
[edit]After the election of Anatoly Bibilov in the 2017 presidential election, Lalieva was named the new Minister of Justice.[1] During her appointment, Bibilov praised her "independent opinon", as she did not belong to his United Ossetia party, as well as her principledness.[2] Lalieva called the appointment "unexpected" but that she welcomed the post.[2] Her deputy was Marina Bestayeva, who had served as acting Minister of Justice between Bibilov's election on April 9, and Lalieva's appointment on June 7.[2] One of her first acts was to ban Jehovah Witnesses in South Ossetia, branding the group an extremist organization, and allowing the unrestricted searches and seizures of suspected Jehovah Witnesses.[3]
On July 11, 2019, inmates at a South Ossetian penal colony started a hunger strike due to poor conditions.[4] After failing to negotiate with the inmates, employees in Lalieva's ministry force fed the inmates, and beat those that continued their strike.[5][6] On July 7, 2020, 20 inmates of the same penal colony attempted to perform a mass suicide by slitting their wrists, however, each of them where forcefully given medical care and none died.[7] Shortly afterwards 20 of the 34 members of Parliament put forward a motion requesting a vote of no confidence to oust Lalieva, however, the vote was blocked by the head of the Council of Ministers, Erik Pukhaev.[8][9]
In 2019 Lalieva met with her Russian counterpart Alexander Konovalov in Moscow to discuss creating a unified pension program, penal system, and bailiff service.[10] In 2021 Lalieva met with her Russian counterpart Konstantin Chuichenko over video-call to sign a Cooperation Program for 2022-2023 in the fields of digitalization, departmental rule-making, monitoring of law enforcement, forensic examination, state accounting and systematization of regulatory legal acts, etc.[11]
Lalieva survived a mass sacking of ministers by Bibilov in 2021, in the wake of the Murder of Inal Djabiev by excessive police force.[12] She would be replaced by the new President Alan Gagloev in favor of Oleg Gagloev, following Bibilov's defeat in the 2022 presidential election.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "New South Ossetian Parliament Head Elected". Civil Georgia. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b c "Министерства юстиции нового руководителя". presidentruo. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "South-Ossetian SC bans Jehovah's Witnesses". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "In South Ossetia, Minister of Justice fails to persuade prisoners to stop hunger strike". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Recent Political Developments Concerning Separatist Tskhinvali Region and Abkhazia". caucasuswatch. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Djioyeva, Anna. "South-Ossetian authorities confirm use of force against prisoners on hunger strike". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Tarkhanova, Zhanna. "Around 20 prisoners cut their wrists in South Ossetian penal colony". JAM news. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ Tarkhanova, Zhanna. "South Ossetia's prisoner hunger strike debacle – who, what, why". JAM news. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Head of South Ossetian CoM resigns". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "The meeting of Ministers of Justice of South Ossetia and Russia was held in Moscow". State Information Agency. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Ministry of Justice of South Ossetia signed a cooperation program for two years with the Ministry of Justice of Russia". State Information Agency. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "New government takes shape in South Ossetia ending half-year deadlock". OC Media. Retrieved 21 November 2024.