Former aide to Abkhaz de facto president arrested

Akhra Avidzba, 35, a former foreign relations aide to de facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region Aslan Bzhania has been arrested in Sokhumi (Abkhazia), local media has reported. 

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The reason behind the arrest has not been identified so far. 

Avidzba fought against Ukrainian forces in the country’s currently Russian-occupied region of Donetsk back in 2014 and is currently wanted by Ukraine for the formation of an illegal armed group in the country. 

Avidzba took the de facto post in Abkhazia in June 2020 and resigned in November of the same year as he ‘lost faith in the common effort.’ 

In March 2, 2021 he announced the creation of a new political movement and stated that he has requested the registration of the movement from the de facto Justice Ministry of Abkhazia. 

The same day he participated in a rally in Sokhumi in which the opposition protested the alleged visit of a former aide to Bzhania Benur Kviraia to Tbilisi-controlled territory for negotiations on trade and economic issues.