Abkhaz opposition figure faces criminal charges, final decision rests with parliament

Abkhazia’s Supreme Court has found signs of a criminal offence in the actions of opposition MP Kan Kvarchia, which means he could lose parliamentary immunity. The final decision now rests with parliament.

On 16 March 2026, the Supreme Court reviewed and approved a request from the prosecutor general to issue a conclusion on the presence of elements of a crime in Kvarchia’s actions under Article 113 of Abkhazia’s Criminal Code — making a death threat.

The court will send its conclusion, along with the case materials, to parliament to seek consent to charge Kan Kvarchia in the criminal case previously opened by the prosecutor’s office.

Opposition MP in Abkhazia faces bid to strip parliamentary immunity

MP Kan Kvarchia is one of the figures in the controversial “Russian political consultants” case

The case relates to a scandal involving Russian political consultants who worked illegally for pro-government candidates during the municipal elections in Abkhazia in November 2025.

Kan Kvarchia, along with several other opposition activists, exposed their activities and handed them over to Abkhazia’s State Security Service for further investigation. However, the agency limited its actions to sending the consultants back to Russia. The consultants then filed a complaint with Russia’s Investigative Committee, which opened a criminal case against the Abkhaz opposition figures, accusing them of robbery against Russian citizens.

After that, Abkhaz law enforcement authorities opened a similar case. At present, four opposition activists are under house arrest, and two others face travel restrictions. Authorities have not taken action against Kan Kvarchia so far because he has parliamentary immunity, which the prosecutor’s office is now seeking to lift.

Russian political strategists secretly worked for pro-presidential candidates in Abkhazia

One ran a “local” newspaper and was smearing opponents, the other secretly worked at the Election Commission. The opposition exposed them, but the “consultants” were simply expelled from Abkhazia

Political analyst Akhra Bzhania sees the court’s ruling as a sign of the “theatricalisation of state institutions” in Abkhazia.

“People we placed in positions of responsibility to protect our rights, in panic over losing their second [Russian] passport, are ready to endorse even the most absurd accusations against Abkhaz citizens,” Bzhania said, suggesting that Abkhaz judges follow the Kremlin’s lead when issuing rulings.

The analyst says he hopes parliament will not hand Kan Kvarchia “over to the prosecutor’s office” and will preserve his parliamentary immunity.

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Charges against MP Kan Kvarchia