Protesters storm Abkhazia’s parliament as anger over controversial investment law boils over

Violent protests broke out in front of Abkhazia’s parliament building on Friday despite a vote on a controversial piece of legislation being postponed. 

Following clashes with security forces, protesters stormed the building, breaking the bars on its windows and flooding the halls. 

As of Friday afternoon, at least two people were reportedly injured during the protests. 

As the legislation, an investment agreement that would significantly ease restrictions on the ability of foreigners, namely Russians, to purchase or build property is being considered, tensions have reached a boiling point.

On Friday morning, the Russian state-run media outlet RIA Novosti reported that both the vote and the entire legislative session planned for Friday had been cancelled. A new vote on the investment agreement was tentatively rescheduled for next week. 

While a specific reason for the postponement was not directly stated, Parliamentary Speaker Lasha Ashuba said lawmakers had expressed concern about the tense atmosphere, with some saying they ‘refuse to work in such conditions’. 

#Abkhazia | Protesters have taken control of the “government administration buildings”, and security forces have reportedly sided with the people. The so-called President’s administration is preparing to revoke the “investment deal” with Russia. pic.twitter.com/TVMsnpbJdc

— Visioner (@visionergeo) November 15, 2024

After the announcement, protesters gathered in front of the parliament on Friday, forcefully calling for lawmakers to convene and vote against the legislation. As security forces looked on, protesters smashed down the gate in front of the parliament building with the help of what appeared to be a military truck and streamed into the grounds. 

Adgur Ardzinba, the chair of the opposition Abkhazian People’s Movement party, was filmed shouting into a loudspeaker demanding the parliament hold a vote.

Addressing the off-camera parliament, he warned ‘blood will be shed here because of you, and the blood will be on your conscience!’

Videos circulated on social media showed security forces throwing smoke grenades and tear gas at protesters as bottles and other projectiles were thrown back at them. It was reportedly the first time that tear gas has been employed to break up protests in Abkhazia. 

Scuffles between security forces wielding sticks and batons and protesters could also be seen in the video. 

Contrary to some speculation that the demonstration was anti-Russian, protesters chanted ‘Russia’, ‘Putin’, and said ‘our shared future is only with Russia’. 

A week of chaos, rising tensions

On Friday morning, it seemed clear that the government was anticipating further unrest. 

RIA Novosti reported that authorities had significantly increased security and military presence near the parliament building in Sukhumi (Sukhum).

Earlier in the week, five opposition figures were arrested, ostensibly for harassing a ruling party MP. The detentions prompted an immediate reaction from the populace, who took to the streets, blocking bridges and protesting across the country. 

Opposition leaders have become more strident in recent days ahead of the vote, which was scheduled for Friday. 

Several pieces of pro-Russian legislation have been pushed in Abkhazia over the past few months, with some successfully making the cut. 

Others, such as a law that could have opened Abkhazia’s real estate market up to foreign buyers, were dropped following protests.

While Abkhazia is financially dependent on Moscow, it still maintains a strong independent streak, and the possibility of losing this vestige of political freedom has exposed deep fault lines in the country. 

The events of the past week have illustrated an inconsistent position from the government regarding signs of discontent from the populace. The widespread protests that broke out after the detention of opposition figures resulted in their eventual release, which some construed as a sign of the government backing down. 

Heightened vitriol on all sides

Ahead of the now postponed vote, the opposition stepped up their vitriol against the agreement, morphing into a larger attack against the government. 

Ardzinba said earlier on Friday that any future unrest will be the fault of President Aslan Bzhaniya. 

Writing on Telegram, Ardzinba urged the government to ‘postpone all pressing issues that divide people’ until after the upcoming presidential election, which is scheduled to be held in 2025. 

Ardzinba also called on security forces to ‘show wisdom and restraint’ and encouraged them not to be ‘used as a tool in the hands of the authorities, who are pursuing the goal of personal enrichment at the expense of the people’. 

On the other side, government officials have called the actions of protesters ‘illegal’ and characterised demonstrations against the detention of opposition leaders as ‘mass riots’.

Following Tuesday’s unrest, Bzhaniya summoned an emergency meeting of Abkhazia’s security council and complained that the blocking of roads and bridges was causing ‘significant inconvenience to residents’.

Abkhazia’s law enforcement officials ‘have enough forces and means to ensure security and law and order in the country’, he added.

 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.