Russia drops the 'foreign agent' label for Abkhaz journalist Inal Khashig

Russia removes Inal Khashig’s ‘foreign agent’ status in Abkhazia

Russia has revoked Abkhaz journalist Inal Khashig’s ‘foreign agent’ status. The journalist himself hopes this is not a one-off decision, but the beginning of a broader reset in Moscow’s approach toward Abkhaz activists and journalists who have fallen out of favor.

Russian agents in Abkhazia | Discussion of Inal Khashig and Astamur Tania

Russian foreign agents in Abkhazia – Editor of the newspaper Chegemskaya Pravda Inal Khashig spoke with historian and political scientist Astamur Tania.

On June 19, the website of Russia’s Ministry of Justice reported that Abkhaz journalist and political analyst Inal Khashig had been removed from the foreign agents register “due to the loss of the characteristics of a foreign agent.”

Khashig was added to the register on March 7, 2025. The stated reasons included that the journalist had “disseminated false information about decisions taken by the Russian public authorities and their policies, as well as about the electoral system, and had engaged with foreign political figures.”

However, this only increased his popularity and support within Abkhaz society.

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Abkhaz social media mostly welcomed Moscow’s decision to remove the journalist’s “foreign agent” status.

However, according to some, this may be linked to the fact that Khashig is a relative of Abkhazia’s president Badra Gunba — the president is married to the journalist’s niece.

In his personal blog, Khashig himself noted that he had not requested assistance from any authorities, and therefore does not know the reasons why Moscow changed its decision.

“I hope that the Kremlin’s review of my status is a political decision aimed at smoothing over the problematic issues that arose in Russian–Abkhaz relations during the presidency of Aslan Bzhania.

Because of this man and the narratives he promoted, several people were stripped of Russian citizenship, criminal cases were opened, entry bans to Russia followed, and I, along with two other Abkhaz journalists, Izida Chania and Nizfa Arshba, was designated as a foreign agent,” Khashig writes.

Russia declares two more Abkhaz journalists 'foreign agents'

They are Izida Chania, editor of “Nuzhnaya Gazeta,” and Nizfa Arshba, author of the Telegram channel “AIAHSARA.” Earlier, Moscow declared Inal Khashig, editor of “Chegemskaya Pravda,” a foreign agent

According to Khashig, the Russian Ministry of Justice’s decision is unlikely to matter either for him or for Abkhaz society as a whole if it remains a one-off action rather than a starting point for a reset in Russian–Abkhaz relations.

“In this regard, I hope that the next step in such a policy will be the removal of my colleagues Izida Chania and Nizfa Arshba from the foreign agents register,” the journalist states.

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