'Repression on outsourcing': why is Russia declaring Abkhazian journalists 'foreign agents'? Opinion

Abkhaz foreign agents

On March 22, the Russian Ministry of Justice declared two Abkhazian journalists, Izida Chania and Nizfa Arshba, as “foreign agents.” Two weeks earlier, journalist Inal Hashig was also added to the list.

In light of this, Abkhazia’s civil society is concerned about two interconnected questions:

• On what basis does Russia designate foreign journalists as “foreign agents”?
• And why do Abkhazian authorities remain silent and allow it?

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Like many in Abkhazia’s civil society, well-known Abkhazian lawyer Said Gezerdava believes that the local authorities themselves initiated the repression against journalists critical of them.

In particular, this concerns the newly elected president of the republic, Badrа Gunba, whose election campaign and rise to power these journalists actively criticized.

Said Gezerdava:

“It was expected that journalists Izida Chania and Nizfa Arshba would end up on the list of foreign agents. It is also clear that this is retaliation for investigative and critical journalism, as well as publications about the raider-style seizure of power through ‘elections.’

Why are Abkhazian journalists, who write about Abkhazian authorities and their failed foreign policy, being labeled as foreign agents in a neighboring country? It’s hard to believe that such a designation is truly necessary outside of Abkhazia.

The strategy of outsourcing repression also serves to maintain the image of an untarnished, ‘clean’ President Badr Gunba. He actively cultivates this image himself, appearing only with ‘victorious’ speeches.

This role seems entirely unnatural. ‘The president met,’ ‘the president congratulated,’ ‘the president inaugurated’—these are the only types of headlines in official media, with no reaction whatsoever to the ongoing harassment of journalists.

By remaining silent, the head of state essentially confirms that he is merely the leader of the electorate that voted for him, rather than of the entire nation.”

“At the same time, it is no secret that the collection of information about journalists—and not only them—takes place here, and our own Abkhazian State Security Service is responsible for this.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia Inal Ardzinba also played a significant role, as it was under his direction that compromising materials were gathered – materials that are now being disseminated on Russian television and anonymous Telegram channels.

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In essence, we are returning to the darkest pages of Abkhazian history, where, in the name of power, money, and other interests, some citizens betray others.

Once people grow accustomed to these repressions, harsher measures will follow.

Outsourcing repression is monstrously cynical. Silence and support for such a policy are clearly perceived as approval and disloyalty to one’s own state. This creates fertile ground for the complete loss of sovereignty and the erosion of freedoms.”

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