Former North Ossetian prosecutor sentenced to prison for sexual assault of subordinate

A Russian court found former senior official in the North Ossetian Prosecutor's Office Grigory Avakyan guilty of having sexually assaulted his subordinate in his office, giving him a four years and six months prison sentence.

In addition to the prison term, Avakyan was ordered to pay one million rubles (approximately $12.4 thousands) in compensation for moral damages to the victim. This amount matched the recommendation of the state prosecutor, who had initially requested a five-year sentence along with the removal of Avakyan's rank. The victim had sought three million rubles ($37.2 thousands) in compensation, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

The incident occurred in July 2024, when the woman reported the assault, stating it took place at her workplace. Despite promises of support from the management, she was dismissed from her position, which she held for 15 years, in November 2024 as part of what was officially described as a redundancy process. Avakyan resigned voluntarily prior to the trial.

Serious concerns have been raised about how the investigation was handled. The victim accused the Republican Prosecutor’s Office’s security service of impeding the inquiry by denying investigators access to the premises, deleting video surveillance footage, and destroying other potential evidence under the pretext of “emergency repairs.”

Before the sentencing, Avakyan admitted full responsibility for the assault and issued a public apology. However, the prosecutor urged the court not to consider his statement as a mitigating factor, expressing doubts about the authenticity of his remorse.

By Sabina Mammadli