Abkhazian residence permit and passport (abkhazinform.com)
As the issuance of new passports continues in Abkhazia, many non–ethnic Abkhaz — ethnic Armenians, Russians, Georgians, and others — fear the reason behind the new regulations is to deprive them of citizenship.
Russian-language textbooks used by Gali pupils issued in Moscow (Nino Gogua /OC Media)
With their new peace initiative, ‘A Step to a Better Future’, Georgia’s government hopes to tempt students from Abkhazia and South Ossetia to enrol in Georgian universities by letting them sit entrance exams in their ‘native language’. But for Abkhazia’s ethnic Georgians in Gali, banned from studying in Georgian there and whose Abkhaz language skills are far from native, the initiative does little to help.
Khurcha-Nabakevi Crossing Point before its Closure, 2015 (Special Report of Public Defender)
The human rights of communities in Abkhazia’s Gali District have been gradually deteriorating, according to a report by the Georgian Public Defender. The report focused on the effects of closures of border crossings. [Read more…]
A police station in Gali where identity documents are issued with a long queue outside (Nino Gogua/ OC Media)
A string of changes in how identity documents are issued has left residents of Abkhazia’s Gali District feeling frustrated and powerless. OC Media spoke to a number of locals, who complained that widespread corruption and discrimination makes them feel unwelcome in their homeland.
Protest against Abkhaz detentions on the Enguri Bridge. April, 2017 (Newposts)
A father and son were sentenced to 2, and 2 and a half years in jail on 2 August by an Abkhazian court for ‘illegally crossing the border’. [Read more…]
Excerpt from the book Abkhaz anthroponymy by Shalva Inal-Ipa, 2002, about Murzakan surnames
Authorities in Abkhazia will grant citizenship to ethnic Georgians willing to ‘change their ethnic identity back’ from Georgian to Abkhaz, the head of Gali (Gal) District administration has said. Applicants should address the Abkhazian president with such a request, he continued, according to Tbilisi-based Civil.ge, who broke the story on 31 July.
Funeral of Giga Otkhozoria in Zugdidi (Ipress.ge)
Abkhazia has dropped criminal proceedings against Abkhazian border guard Rashid Kandzhi-Ogly, who was accused of killing a Georgian man at a checkpoint between Abkhazia and Tbilisi-controlled territory, the Georgian State Security Service reported on 31 May. [Read more…]
The government of the de facto republic of Abkhazia will start issuing residence permits, Abkhazian state press agency Apsnypress reported quoting Abkhazia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. [Read more…]
Election at sixth district in Sukhumi (Apsnypress)
According to preliminary results, 12 MPs were elected in the first round of parliamentary elections on 12 March in the de facto Republic of Abkhazia, with turnout of 56%. The remaining 22 MPs will be elected during the second round, the date of which will be announced in two weeks. [Read more…]
Ingur checkpoint
On January 25, around 200 residents of Gali (Gal) region in Abkhazia rallied against the planned closure of checkpoints along the de facto border between Abkhazia and Georgia proper, on the River Enguri, Ekho Kavkaza reported.
