Friday, December 5, 2025

Abkhazia's supreme court rejects opposition lawsuit, Khajimba re-elected

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Supreme Court in Abkhazia on Friday rejected a lawsuit filed by presidential candidate Alhaz Kvitsinia, seeking to annul the results of the runoff elections and call a new election. Although Kvitsinia’s team will appeal the ruling, it is already clear that Kremlin-backed Raul Khajimba, a former KGB operative, has won the election. In … Read more

Opposition in Abkhazia demands de facto election result canceled

TBILISI, DFWatch–The opposition in Abkhazia is planning a rally in Sokhumi on Tuesday, which will be held in parallel with a court hearing in a lawsuit filed by the opposition candidate Alkhaz Kvitsinia to demand the results of the de facto presidential runoff annulled. Kvitsinia and his supporters argue that the existing “constitution” requires a … Read more

Growing tensions in Abkhazia as opposition refuses to accept narrow win for incumbent

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tensions are growing in Abkhazia after the runoff in the breakaway republic’s presidential elections, as the opposition refuses to accept the lead by incumbent de facto president Raul Khajimba.  There is a high likelihood that the result will ultimately be declared invalid, a person close to Sokhumi officials told DFWatch. Incumbent de facto president … Read more

Kremlin linked incumbent likely to be re-elected in breakaway Abkhazia

TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian breakaway region Abkhazia is holding elections for de facto president on Sunday. Ten candidates are vying for the seat, but none of them stand much of a chance against the incumbent Raul Khajimba, a former KGB operative and close ally of the Kremlin. Aslan Bzhania, a former candidate proposed by a group … Read more

Growing suspicion that Abkhazia's main opposition candidate was poisoned after security guards also fall ill

TBILISI, DFWatch–Suspicions grew Monday that a key opposition figure in Abkhazia has been poisoned, after two of his bodyguards were hospitalized in a serious condition, at least one of them with similar symptoms. Although officially, Aslan Bzhania, the main opponent of the incumbent de facto president, and his two guards are being treated for “pneumonia”, … Read more

Putin received the highest percentage of votes in Georgia's two breakaway regions

Abkhazia’s de facto president Raul Khajimba at a precinct opened in the breakaway region for voting the Russian presidential election. (Ekhokavkaza.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–In two enclaves carved out of neighboring Georgia, Vladimir Putin received the highest percentage of votes in the Russian presidential election: 94 percent of votes in Abkhazia and 93 percent in South Ossetia.

The two regions which both have a heavy Russian

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Opposition in Abkhazia ends protest, deal struck with de facto authorities

sukhumi_opposition_protest_2016-12-15
(Interpressnews.)
raul_khajimba
Raul Khajimba, the de facto president. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–A more than 14 hour long protest ended on Friday with negotiations between opposition leaders and the embattled de facto leader of the Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia.

On December 15, hundreds of people converged on the government building in Sokhumi,

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Abkhaz leader plans to close all but one checkpoint

enguri
Only the main checkpoint on the Enguri river will be operational. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The newly elected de facto president of the breakaway region Abkhazia wants to close five out of a total of six ’official’ checkpoints that divide Abkhazia from Georgia proper.

According to Russian news agency Ria Novosti, Abkhazia’s new president,

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