Abkhaz opposition leader jailed for 15 days in Russia

Abkhaz opposition leader jailed in Russia

One of the leaders of the Abkhaz opposition, Adgur Ardzinba, has been sentenced in Russia to 15 days of administrative detention. The official reason given was driving without a valid licence.

On 21 June, while in the Russian city of Sochi, Ardzinba was summoned to the local police station over an incident that took place on 20 April, when he crossed the Russian border by car without a licence. His driving privileges had been revoked a month earlier in Sochi for a traffic violation.

At the station, police charged the opposition figure with an administrative offence, held an expedited court hearing, and sentenced him to 15 days in detention.

The majority of Abkhazia’s residents hold dual Abkhaz–Russian citizenship and carry Russian driving licences.

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The agreement is described as “oppressive” in Abkhazia, with the opposition reminding that “just a few months ago, this issue triggered a major political crisis and the resignation of the president”

On the one hand, Adgur Ardzinba did indeed commit a legal offence. However, despite this, his arrest should be viewed as a political decision.

It is worth recalling that Ardzinba ran for president of Abkhazia in March 2025 and secured 42% of the vote. During the campaign, he faced off against Badr Gunba — the Kremlin’s preferred candidate, who ultimately won the presidency. Throughout the electio period, Russian media ran a campaign against Ardzinba, portraying him as a “pro-Turkish” politician.

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

The court’s decision to impose this measure is therefore seen in Abkhazia as part of ongoing political pressure on the opposition from Russia.

Over the past couple of years, this pressure has taken on a systemic nature.

Two members of the Abkhaz parliament have been stripped of their Russian citizenship, three journalists have been designated as “foreign agents” by Russia’s Ministry of Justice, and several others have been banned from entering the country for ten years.

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However, the Abkhaz opposition believes that this entire “punitive” policy from Moscow was initiated by former Abkhaz President Aslan Bzhania. In other words, they place the blame for their troubles on the Abkhaz, rather than the Russian, side.

Badr Gunba — effectively Bzhania’s successor and elected with strong backing from the Kremlin — promised during his campaign to overcome domestic political divisions. Yet the opposition argues that nothing has changed so far.

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