The case of former de facto deputies of South Ossetia’s de facto parliament, David Sanakoyev, Garry Muldarov and Dzambolat Medoyev, who are appealing the decision to revoke their citizenship of the Russian Federation, remains unresolved to date.

Following the revocation of their citizenship, the former deputies continued their legal dispute across various judicial instances. The case was initially heard in a court in Vladikavkaz, where their claims were dismissed at every instance. They subsequently applied to courts in Krasnodar and Rostov. However, both instances refused to accept the case. At present, the case is before Moscow City Court, although proceedings have been suspended.

According to David Sanakoev, given the current political situation, they do not expect the case to be decided in their favour, particularly while Alan Gagloyev remains in power in the de facto authorities of South Ossetia.

The confiscation of passports from former deputies was accompanied by additional pressure. A state “punitive operation” was set in motion against them, which significantly affected their social and economic situation. In particular, Dzambolat Medoyev and Gary Muldarov are currently unemployed and unable to secure employment. Problems have also arisen for Medoev’s brother, who works in law enforcement.

David Sanakoyev also faced difficulties in securing employment. Various institutions refused to employ him, citing concerns about his complicated relations with the authorities. He is currently working part-time at a research centre. Sanakoyev’s family, which includes four minor children, relies primarily on social assistance.

For information, in 2024, at the request of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), Sanakoyev, Muldarov and Medoyev were stripped of Russian citizenship and banned from entering the territory of Russia until 2049. The official reason given was that they posed a threat to the national interests and security of the Russian Federation.

According to their assessment, the decision concerning the revocation of their Russian citizenship is linked to their political position regarding the so-called state border demarcation and delimitation process. They accused the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali of being loyal towards Georgia and opposed agreements which, in their view, “damaged the interests of South Ossetia”.

The present case highlights the complex political environment in the region and the influence of Russia, which shapes the formation of de facto authorities and aims to neutralise politically critical figures.