Tensions boil over in Georgia’s Abkhazia over property rights for Russians

Tensions boiled over this week in Georgia’s Abkhazia region as protesters oppose a measure that seeks to give property rights to Russians.

Demonstrators opposing a proposal to permit Russian nationals to purchase property in the breakaway region in Georgia stormed the separatist parliament on Friday, resulting in clashes with police.

Georgia Protests

Parliament had been scheduled to debate the measure but postponed the session as protesters gathered outside the government compound, which houses the legislature and presidential office. Demonstrators used a truck to ram the gates and stormed into the compound, hurling rocks at police, who responded with tear gas.

At least eight people were injured during the unrest in Sukhumi, the regional capital on the Black Sea, according to local news reports.

President Aslan Bzhania’s office later announced that he was drafting an order to withdraw the proposed measure from consideration. While police vacated the parliament building, protesters remained on site, calling for Bzhania’s resignation, according to Russian news agencies. Some reports indicated protesters had taken control of the building.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian service reported that a statement from Bzhania’s office said the decision to withdraw the proposed measure “was made in order to stabilize the situation in the republic.”

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Abkhazia media outlet Nuzhnaya Gazeta reported about the protests on its Telegram channel, saying: “The confrontation is growing, and there is a risk of it turning into bloodshed.”

Abkhazia

Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia after a conflict that ended in 1993, with Georgia losing control of the remaining territory following a brief war with Russia in 2008. While Moscow recognizes Abkhazia as an independent state, many of the region’s roughly 245,000 residents fear it functions as little more than a client state of Russia.

The government of Georgia considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be occupied territory, and the majority of Western governments, including the U.S., considers the regions as part of Georgia.

Critics of the proposed property deal argue that it would inflate apartment prices and further entrench Moscow’s influence in the region. With its scenic mountains and Black Sea coastline, Abkhazia is a favored destination for Russian tourists, sparking concerns about heightened demand for vacation properties.

The detention of five opposition figures during a similar protest on Monday sparked widespread unrest the following day, with demonstrators blocking bridges leading to Sukhumi.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.