TSKHINVALI, South Ossetia. Jan 10 (Interfax-AVN) - Alexei Chibirov, former deputy chairman of the State Security Committee of the self-proclaimed South Ossetian Republic, has been arrested on charges of power abuse, a source in the South Ossetian president's administration, told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday.
Chibirov, who is a son of former South Ossetian president Lyudvig Chibirov, was arrested in Tskhinvali, the source said. The arrest brought about "minor riots," he added.
The detainee kept in the State Security Committee's detention ward in Tskhinvali, the source noted.
Chibirov and his followers waged propaganda against the current South Ossetian president, Eduard Kokoity, during presidential elections in December 2001. Lyudvig Chibirov, who was then leader of the self-proclaimed republic, ran for re- election, but failed.
The former president arrived in Tskhinvali following his son's arrest. Lately he has been engaged in research in Vladikavkas, Russia's internal republic of North Ossetia.