Abkhaz opposition leader freed in Russia after presidential appeal

JAMnews

Sukhum

The leader of the Abkhaz opposition, Adgur Ardzinba, who had been sentenced in Russia to 15 days of administrative detention, spent only three days in custody before being “amnestied” following a petition from the President of Abkhazia.

Abkhaz opposition leader jailed for 15 days in Russia

The official reason cited was driving a vehicle without a valid driver’s licence

Abkhaz opposition leader jailed in Russia

Adgur Ardzinba was arrested on 21 June on charges of driving without a licence. His licence had been revoked in April for a traffic violation, meaning the charge itself was technically justified. However, the Abkhaz opposition still considered the arrest and sentence to be politically motivated.

Ardzinba was a presidential candidate in Abkhazia’s February–March 2025 elections and the main rival of Kremlin-backed favourite Badr Gunba, who ultimately won the presidency.

Throughout the campaign, Moscow actively supported Badr Gunba, while Russian media simultaneously sought to discredit Adgur Ardzinba by portraying him as a “pro-Turkish” politician. Despite this, the opposition candidate secured 42% of the vote.

Ahead of Abkhazia’s election, Russian media paint opposition candidate as ‘Turkish agent’

It appears to be an attempt to bolster his opponent—the pro-government candidate and Moscow’s preferred choice.

Russian media and Abkhazian presidential race

Overall, pressure from the Kremlin on members of the Abkhaz opposition and civil society has taken on a systemic character over the past year: many have been stripped of Russian citizenship, added to the list of “foreign agents”, or banned from entering Russia. However, the opposition itself believes that this campaign of persecution was initiated by the Abkhaz authorities.

In any case, the arrest of Adgur Ardzinba was seen as yet another episode in the crackdown on Abkhazia’s dissenters. Nonetheless, President Badr Gunba intervened on behalf of his rival and secured his early release from detention.

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Upon his release, Adgur Ardzinba stated that the incident was “merely a misunderstanding caused by incompetence or lack of coordination, not by ill intent.”

“I don’t want this episode to cast a shadow over the Abkhaz people’s attitude towards Russia, which, let’s be honest, was seriously tested during the recent presidential election,” Ardzinba wrote on his social media page.

At the same time, he made it clear that despite the intervention of Badr Gunba, he intends to continue his political struggle:

“We are living through difficult times. But I firmly believe that everything that happens should push us not towards destruction, but towards reflection and renewal. That is why we will continue on our path – calmly, with dignity, and with faith in a brighter future.”

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Abkhaz opposition leader freed in Russia