Journalist and activist attacked by ‘masked men’ in Abkhazia

An independent journalist, David Gobechiya, and a member of an anti-government activist group, Liya Agrba, were attacked by a masked group outside Sukhumi (Sukhum) on Sunday, an incident opposition groups claim was politically motivated. 

Gobechiya is the editor of Dnews and Abkhaz Portal, independent Abkhazian Telegram channels, while Agrba is a member of the Hara H-Pitsunda (‘Our Pitsunda’) movement, formed in 2022 to protest the transfer of a Soviet state dacha to Russia. 

According to the victims, four masked men blinded the pair using gas canisters, before beating Gobechiya and stealing Agrba’s bag. They additionally claimed that the group filmed the attack, with Gobechiya adding that he believed he had been under surveillance for several days.   

Various opposition political and public organisations immediately responded to the incident. 

‘The brazen crime committed against journalist David Gobechiya and participant of the Hara H-Pitsunda movement, Liya Agrba, are clear attempts to hinder the fight for justice, democracy, and the defence of the national interests of our state at any cost’, stated an appeal signed by five opposition associations.

The Union of Veterans and Youths of Apsny similarly strongly condemned the attack, suggesting it was an attempt to ‘openly intimidate’ Abkhazia’s civil society. 

On the same day, a number of  anonymous Telegram channels accused Gobechiya and Agrba of staging the incident in order to discredit the authorities. 

‘A typical two-step move from the opposition: in the near future, the “victims” will blame the authorities for the incident’, wrote the Sovmin Telegram channel. ‘What will happen next? Dozens of NGOs with the same participants will make a public accusation against law enforcement agencies and authorities, “who encroached on freedom of speech and human rights in Abkhazia.” The collective stench will spread throughout Abkhazia’.

Agrba has repeatedly been subject to verbal abuse and slander. 

In December 2023, Deputy Chair of the State Security Service Zaal Khvartskiya stated live on Abkhaz television that Agrba had received Western money for anti-state activities. 

Agrba also appealed to the Prosecutor General’s Office more recently regarding alleged slander against her by David Piliya, a member of the Public Chamber of Abkhazia, an advisory body to Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhaniya. Piliya had earlier accused her of having ties to foreign intelligence services. 

Further speculation on social media suggested that Inal Ardzinba, Abkhazia’s former Foreign Minister, might be behind the attack. 

On Saturday night, one of Ardzinba’s relatives posted a photograph of Ardzinba on Instagram with the caption ‘He will return. He will return spectacularly’.

While Ardzinba has made no public appearances since his unexpected dismissal in May 2024, leading to speculation regarding his whereabouts, in the past week there have been rumours of his return to Abkhazia. Local media has suggested that Ardzinba has been negotiating with President Aslan Bzhania for the position of head of the Presidential Administration. 

Ardzinba is believed to have close ties to the Russian state, and his alleged homecoming and bid for a return to government comes shortly after  Russia’s decision to cut funding to Abkhazia after a number of pro-Russian laws failed to pass. 

Law enforcement agencies have announced that they are investigating the attack on Gobechiya and Agrba.

 For ease of reading, we choose not to use qualifiers such as ‘de facto’, ‘unrecognised’, or ‘partially recognised’ when discussing institutions or political positions within Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, and South Ossetia. This does not imply a position on their status.