Publication: N3 / Review Period: December 1-31, 2022

The review is being prepared within the framework of the Roadmap to the Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region project. The purpose of the review is to provide readers with information about main events and trends in the occupied regions of Georgia. The review is a monthly publication and will be useful for decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the developments taking place in the occupied regions of Georgia.

Vyacheslav Volodin and the Occupied Regions of Georgia

In December 2022, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, was particularly active in the direction of the occupied regions of Georgia. He is the first chairman of the State Duma who visited Abkhazia. On December 1, Volodin met with both, the de facto President of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, and the Speaker of the de facto parliament, Lasha Ashuba. Volodin and Ashuba also signed an agreement on “parliamentary cooperation.” On December 15, in Moscow, Volodin also hosted the de facto Chairman of the Parliament of the Tskhinvali region, Alan Albarov.

Alan Alborov Meets with Vyacheslav Volodin

On December 19, during the 63rd parliamentary session of the Union State of Russia and Belarus which was held at the State Duma, Volodin also met with the chairmen of the de facto parliaments of the occupied regions of Georgia. Volodin's such activism is dictated by the increasing pace of Abkhazia’s and the Tskhinvali region’s involvement in Russia's integration projects.

Connections with Belarus

Recently, representatives of the occupied regions of Georgia have been actively participating in events of the Union State during which representatives of the separatist regime meet with official representatives of Belarus. A similar trend became particularly noticeable after President Lukashenko’s visit to Abkhazia on September 28.

In this context, it is interesting that Inal Ardzinba, the de facto Minister of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, in addition to Moscow, paid a visit to Minsk as well. On December 2-6,  in addition to the post-Soviet countries, representatives of the occupied regions of Georgia also participated in the Career School in Minsk, including six from Abkhazia.

Budget for 2023 and Russia's Role

In December, the de facto parliaments of the both occupied regions of Georgia adopted the so-called budget for 2023 which still depends on Russian funding. At this stage, the de facto governments cannot meet their socio-economic obligations without Moscow’s financial support.

In 2023, revenues to the Abkhazian “budget” was set at RUB 12.5 billion, expenses - at RUB 14.2 billion. Russia will allocate RUB 3.7 billion for the socio-economic development of Abkhazia, and RUB 1.2 billion - for budget investments.

Revenues to the so-called budget of the Tskhinvali region will be RUB 8.8 billion, and expenses – RUB 8.9 billion. In this case, the “budget” practically depends on Russian financing. Russia's financial assistance for budgetary investments will amount to RUB 1.2 billion and Russia will allocate RUB 5.9 billion for the socio-economic development of the region.

Russian Passports and Restriction on Movement in the European Union

On December 8, 2022, the Council of the European Union made a final decision on non-recognition of Russian passports issued in the occupied regions of Ukraine and Georgia on the territory of the European Union. Russian travel documents issued in the occupied regions of Georgia will no longer be useful for obtaining a visa or moving across borders in the Schengen Area. The de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia has already stated that such a decision will definitely affect the activities of West-funded international governmental and non-governmental organizations in the territory of Abkhazia.

Decision of the Hague Court and Tskhinvali's Response

On December 16, the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court of Hague officially announced the completion of the examination and investigation of the 2008 war crimes and crimes against humanity. In connection with the same case, the Court left in force warrants of arrest issued in March 2022 against former high-ranking officials of the de facto republic of the Tskhinvali region, who were found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The de facto authorities declared the warrants of arrest issued by the Court as unacceptable and denounced the Court as a completely biased platform. According to the de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the accused persons have nothing to do with the presented crimes; moreover, they were the ones who ensured the safety of Georgian soldiers and citizens during the August 2008 war, and subsequently handed them over to the Georgian side (details about this issue see here).

Meeting Between the De Facto Leaders of the Tskhinvali Region and Russian Officials

In December, in Moscow, the de facto leaders of the Tskhinvali region met with officials supervising the occupied regions of Georgia, including Dmitry Kozak, who is the most influential figure in the executive power of Russia in this direction:

• On December 22, the Secretary of the de facto Security Council, Anatoly Pliev, met with the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev. The mutual cooperation action plan for 2023-2024 was also signed at the meeting.
• On December 28, the de facto President, Alan Gagloyev, met with the Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Dmitry Kozak. Among other issues, the meeting also discussed the implementation of the 2023-2025 socio-economic development program of the Tskhinvali region.
• On December 28, Gagloyev also met with the Deputy Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Rashid Nurgaliyev. The meeting discussed security issues.

Meeting Between Alan Gagloyev and Dmitry Kozak

Case of Mearakishvili

In December, the criminal prosecution against Tamar Mearakishvili, a civil activist living in occupied Akhalgori, was terminated. The so-called Prosecutor's Office of Tskhinvali terminated the case due to the absence of corpus delicti in the act. The case was initiated on August 16, 2017, against Tamar Mearakishvili on charges of slandering the United Ossetia ruling party and illegally acquiring citizenship of the so-called Republic of South Ossetia. Mearakishvili is a sharp critic of the de facto government and her “legal” prosecution was aimed at intimidating and silencing her.

Who is Preparing a Terrorist Act in Abkhazia?

In December, rumors spread in Abkhazia that the Georgian side was planning a terrorist act on the territory of Abkhazia. The so-called State Security Service even started an investigation into the case. At the same time, on December 9, the so-called General Prosecutor's Office announced the arrest of Alexander Achba, the de facto Advisor to the Minister of Defense in matters of international military cooperation, who is accused of illegally purchasing firearms. According to some reports, Achba's arrest may be related to the preparation of a terrorist act. The fact is that the majority of the population in occupied Abkhazia have unregistered weapons, and such arrests can only be explained by an internal political struggle. Residents of the de facto republic also associate the rumors about the preparation of a terrorist act with internal politics of local government, the purpose of which may be to divert attention from other painful issues (for example, the issue of the transfer of the Bichvinta State Country House to Russia).

Fight Against “Spies”

On December 7, the so-called Military Prosecutor of Abkhazia sent an indictment in the case of Kristina Takalandze, a citizen of Georgia, to the “court.” Takalandze is accused of “espionage.” In particular, according to the “Prosecutor,” on July 20, 2022, she was engaged in “espionage” activities in Gali, in the vicinity of the so-called Enguri check-point. 

On December 26, the so-called State Security Service published new information about 28-year-old Daur Buava, who became a citizen of Georgia and is accused of “treason to the Abkhazian state,” according to which he has a mental disorder and is impulsive. In addition, according to the “agency,” Buava was also in prison in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug of Russia.

Bzhania's Visit to Moscow

In December, Aslan Bzhania was in Moscow for a long period; however, very little information was released about the visit. As Bzhania's representative said, Bzhania met with Abkhaz businessmen working in Russia on December 26. There are frequent cases when Bzhania visits Russia for a long time, but practically no information is spread about his meetings which contributes to the spread of various types of inaccurate information in Abkhazia about Bzhania's trips to Moscow.

Aslan Bzhania's Meeting with Abkhaz Businessmen

World Congress of Abkhaz-Abazins

On December 8, the 8th Session of the Abkhaz-Abazin World Congress was held in Sokhumi. The session summarized the activities of the organization in 2018-2022. This year, the Congress celebrated its 30th anniversary. Its main goal is to unite Abkhaz and Abazin peoples worldwide. Within five years, the basis of the regional structure of the Congress was created in Adjara as well where ethnic Abkhazians live. For the next five years, the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Congress will be Musa Ekzekov again.

Preparations to Mark the 30th Anniversary

On December 21, a session of the commission was held under the leadership of Abkhazia's de facto Vice President, Badra Gunba. The commission discussed the preparation of ceremonial events in 2023 dedicated to the 30th  anniversary of the victory in the 1992-1993 “Patriotic War of the Abkhaz People” (as the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict of 1992-1993 is referred to in occupied Abkhazia). The year of 2023 also marks the 15th anniversary of the recognition of the independence of the de facto republic by Russia. According to commission members, anniversaries should be celebrated on a large scale.