Protesters stormed the parliament of Abkhazia, a Russian-backed breakaway region in Georgia, on Friday, demanding the resignation of its leader over a controversial investment agreement with Moscow.
The region’s self-proclaimed president firmly rejected calls to step down or flee, stating that discussions with opposition representatives were underway.
Russia expressed concern over the unfolding “crisis situation” and advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Abkhazia. Moscow has recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states since the 2008 war with Georgia and continues to support both regions through military bases and economic aid.
In the capital, Sukhumi, demonstrators used a truck to break through the parliament’s metal gates before entering the building by removing window bars.
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Opposition leader Temur Gulia told Reuters that the initial demand was to abandon the investment agreement, which critics argue could enable wealthy Russians to buy up property in the picturesque Black Sea region, potentially driving out local residents. However, the protesters have since escalated their demands, now calling for the president’s removal.
“The people demand the resignation of Aslan Bzhania and categorically intend to achieve it,” said Gulia.
Protesters also broke into the presidential administration offices located in the same complex as the parliament. Emergency services said at least nine people were taken to hospital.
Bzhania, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said he and other leaders were “staying in place and will keep on working.”
“I ask you not to give in to panic. I am staying in Abkhazia and will work as I have done,” Bzhania wrote, saying that the first task was to clean up after the unrest.
“At this time, talks are going on with the opposition.”
Bzhania, a former head of the state security service who became president in 2020, was not in the complex, Russia’s TASS state agency reported. His office did not immediately respond to a question from Reuters about his whereabouts.
Another opposition leader, Eshsou Kakalia, told Reuters the protesters would not leave the government complex until Bzhania agreed to resign.
The presidential administration said in a statement that authorities were preparing to withdraw the investment agreement.
Olesya Vartanyan, an independent regional expert, said the crisis was the culmination of mounting Russian pressure to get more from Abkhazia in return for its financial support.
“The Russians are paying them – they want something back,” she said in a telephone interview. “There is always this question – why are we supporting you guys and you’re not even allowing Russian citizens to buy property there?”
If Bzhania fell, he would be the third local leader to be toppled in a similar way since 2008. Vartanyan said Moscow’s usual approach was to allow the periodic crises to play out, and then to strike deals with whichever leader came next.
“Every single Abkhaz leader after they got recognized by Moscow became sort of a hostage to Moscow,” she said. “When you come to power, you have to be loyal to Moscow and then you have to find a way to cooperate.”
Most of the world recognizes Abkhazia as part of Georgia, from which it broke away during wars in the early 1990s.
The opposition said in a statement that the protesters’ actions were not against Russian-Abkhazian relations, but charged that Bzhania “has been trying to use these relations for his own selfish interests, manipulating them for the sake of strengthening his regime.”
“Abkhazian society had only one demand: to protect the interests of our citizens and our business,” it said.
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