'Delicate issue': how Abkhazia's authorities are trying to ease situation of lawyer Irakli Bzhinava, arrested in Russia
Abkhazia’s president, Badra Gunba, is discussing the fate of Abkhaz lawyer Irakli Bzhinava, who is being held in a Russian detention centre, with Moscow. Authorities have opened two criminal cases against him. Gunba says the issue requires a delicate approach.
At a meeting of the Consultative Council of political parties and civil society organisations, the president said Abkhaz authorities were working with their Russian counterparts on Bzhinava’s detention conditions. The foreign ministry and consular service are also providing the necessary support, including to his lawyers.
“State authorities are dealing with this issue. I personally discuss it with my colleagues through my own channels, and certain services are also involved,” the president said.
According to Gunba, the issue requires a delicate approach because it concerns another country’s laws. At the same time, he said, the Abkhaz side is not stepping back from the situation and continues to discuss it through various channels.
Irakli Bzhinava, who holds dual Abkhaz and Russian citizenship and lives in Russia, was detained on 5 February 2026 and has remained in pre-trial detention ever since.
According to the case materials, the authorities brought the charges over a social media post that Bzhinava published on 23 December 2022. The post concerned an agreement to transfer a famous state dacha in Abkhazia to Russia. Bzhinava criticised the agreement, arguing that it violated Abkhaz law.
Bzhinava initially faced charges of “criminal intent to make public calls for activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation”, which carries a prison sentence of up to three years.
However, in mid-September, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a second criminal case against Bzhinava. The new charges accuse him of “publicly justifying the terrorist Shamil Basayev online” and carry a prison sentence of up to seven years.
Despite the more serious charges, Irakli Bzhinava was allowed to meet his mother for the first time in seven months in detention. According to civil society activist Kadir Argun, who is collecting signatures in support of Bzhinava, the meeting provided his family with “enormous support and moral strength during a difficult time”.
Irakli Bzhinava enjoys fairly broad support in Abkhazia, with local politicians and public figures regularly calling on the republic’s authorities to provide him with comprehensive assistance.
Abkhazia’s ombudswoman Anas Kishmaria has also formally appealed to her Russian counterpart, Yana Lantratova, asking her to help improve Bzhinava’s detention conditions and take personal oversight of the case.
The terminology, place names and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of this website.
