Georgiy Kabisov

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Georgiy Kabisov is an Ossetian politician from South Ossetia, a partially recognized state in the Caucasus. He served as chair of the State Committee of Information, Communication and Mass Media under President Eduard Kokoity.

In 2011, Kabisov denounced the film 5 Days of War as “Hitler propaganda” and said the United States were the “patrons” of Nazis. He also described Georgia and Mikheil Saakashvili as spiteful aggressors in the Russo-Georgian War. He ran for president in 2011 as an independent and was seen as the pro-Russian frontrunner, but he won only 7.5% in the first round and did not reach the runoff. He attempted another bid in 2012, but the Central Election Commission denied his candidacy twice.

In 2017 Kabisov was arrested on charges of economic crimes, abuse of office, and illegal possession of weapons, and he was sentenced to eight years in prison. He called the arrest politically motivated and a move by opponent Anatoly Bibilov to quash dissent. Prosecutors said they found “special equipment” at his home and claimed he was gathering blackmail material on politicians. His family argued the equipment was ordinary and commonly available in Russia. His wife, Zarina Kabisov, said the arrest was retaliation for his plan to found Elektrosvyaz, a North Ossetian telecommunications company that could become a South Ossetian state company.

While in prison, Kabisov conducted an unsuccessful hunger strike. His supporters helped Alan Gagloev win the presidency in 2022, and Kabisov was pardoned and released in June 2022. Shortly after his release, he sought a political comeback and began forming a new party named Iron in 2022, hoping to revive an earlier anti-Russian party with the same name that was denied registration in 2010. Iron held its first congress on 8 April 2023, the 22nd anniversary of South Ossetia adopting its main law. The congress was led by Zhanna Kochieva, a former United Ossetia MP, and included 17 former high-ranking politicians, including Yuri Dziztsoity. The party describes itself as socialist and aims to build a socialist South Ossetia.