Week in the Caucasus: review of main events of November 18-24, 2024

Crisis in Abkhazia, persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia, echo of the parliamentary elections in Georgia, and official data on the natives of Southern Russia who perished in Ukraine, – see the review of these and other events in the Caucasus during the week of November 18-24, 2024, prepared by the “Caucasian Knot”.

Crisis in Abkhazia

On November 11, protests began in Abkhazia. They have been provoked by the conclusion of an investment agreement between the republic’s authorities and Russia, in contradiction to the parliament’s opinion.

On November 19, the parliament of Abkhazia unanimously voted for the agenda of the session, which only included the issue of the President Aslan Bzhaniya’s resignation. Out of 31 MPs, 28 voted for the president’s resignation, one voted against, and two ballots were spoiled.

Vice President Badra Gunba has been appointed acting President of Abkhazia. He will hold the post until early election are held.

The crisis that led to the President Aslan Bzhaniya’s resignation demonstrated the demand of residents of Abkhazia for a change in the form of power from a presidential republic to a parliamentary one, analysts noted. At the same time, on November 18, Russian analysts assumed that although the pretext for the protests in Abkhazia was the investment agreement with Russia, the real reason for the protests was the desire of influential groups to redistribute power.

President Aslan Bzhaniya announced that he left the republic.

After the Aslan Bzhaniya’s resignation, the Abkhazian opposition intends to seek the cancellation of the investment agreement with Russia, but is not yet sure how to do that.

Persecution of pacifists and activists in Southern Russia

A court found Yuri Strubalin guilty of vandalism motivated by political hatred and sentenced him to three years of restricted freedom. Later, the Kirovsky District Court of Astrakhan upheld the decision. Yuri Strubalin filed an appeal against the verdict once more, but the court of cassation upheld the decision of the first instance court.

According to the investigators’ version, retired Interior Ministry employee Yuri Strubalin wrote pacifist statements with a marker on the facades of several buildings in Astrakhan, recognized as architectural monuments. Then he made photographs of those inscriptions. Law enforcers found Yuri Strubalin using CCTV footage and instituted a case against him.

The Soviet District Court of Vladikavkaz found Aleksei Kolomiyets guilty of discrediting the Russian Armed Forces and imposed a fine on him.

Echo of parliamentary elections in Georgia

The opposition refused to recognize the results of the Georgian parliamentary elections held on October 26 and announced that they would boycott the work of the parliament. President Salome Zurabishvili also refused to recognize the parliamentary election results.

The protest action in front of the administrative building of the Tbilisi State University continued on November 18. Traffic was blocked on Chavchavadze Avenue and more than 20 tents were set up there.

On the other day, the police began to use force against the protesters. Law enforcers beat up demonstrators, including minors and women. A video has been posted on the Internet, showing law enforcers overpowering Sergi Baramidze, a cameraman of the “Mtavari Arkhi” TV Channel, who was working at the protest site.

In total, at least sixteen people were detained during the dispersal of the protest. Policemen demolished the tent camp where activists had been protesting for two days. Excessive force was used against students and journalists, the protesters were not warned about the dispersal, and there were no grounds for using force, lawyers believe.

In the evening, opposition supporters again occupied the territory in front of the Tbilisi State University and set up tents, protesting against the parliamentary election results. Despite the violent dispersal of the protest and the dismantling of the tents, the protestors stayed overnight. In the morning, the police again pushed the protesters back and formed a cordon, not allowing them to reach the university building. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) explained the law enforcers’ actions by the prohibition to block traffic.

The protesters are set for a long struggle and are looking after themselves and their relatives and friends, which is why few people continue night protests, analysts explain. The Special Investigative Service of Georgia has launched an investigation into the obstruction of journalistic activities during the dispersal of the protest on the night of November 19.

The participants of the protest action in the yard of the Tbilisi University demanded the resignation of the university’s rector, who banned opposition protesters from entering the university and mobilized law enforcers on its territory.

The Constitutional Court of Georgia has accepted for consideration the claim lodged by President Salome Zurabishvili concerning the violation of citizens’ rights during the parliamentary elections.

On November 23, oppositionists and their supporters blocked traffic in the centre of Tbilisi, demanding repeat parliamentary elections. Students and opposition supporters marched from the building of the Batumi University to the Constitutional Court of Georgia with the same demand addressed to judges.

On the other day, residents of Georgia held a “women’s march” along the streets of Tbilisi to the residence of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling party. The protestors came with suitcases. They carried them as a symbol and claimed that the “Georgian Dream” Party “led the country to mass emigration.”

Official data on natives of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine

By November 24, the authorities and the law enforcement bodies reported about at least 5329 residents of Southern Russia perished in Ukraine, including 2552 residents of the North-Caucasian Federal District (NCFD) and 2777 residents of the Southern Federal District (SFD).

In Dagestan, the authorities reported about 1116 local residents perished in Ukraine, in the Volgograd Region – 1001, in the Rostov Region – 598, in the Krasnodar Territory – 594, in the Stavropol Territory – 535, in the Astrakhan Region – 412, in North Ossetia – 321, in Chechnya – 215, in Kabardino-Balkaria – 186, in Kalmykia – 103, in Ingushetia – 96, in Karachay-Cherkessia – 83, and in Adygea – 69.