Article

2020-01-10 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

Crowds storm president's office in Georgia's breakaway Abkhazia

[Al Jazeera] Hundreds of demonstrators contesting a local election in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia have broken into the de facto leader's office demanding his resignation, according to Russian state media.

The crowd on Thursday gathered outside the building in the city of Sukhumi, the Russia-backed separatist region's capital, before breaking down the door and smashing windows to get inside, pictures and footage circulated by Russian state media showed.

Syrians build new lives in post-conflict Abkhazia
The protesters claim there were widespread irregularities in the re-election of Raul Khadzhimba for a second five-year term as Abkhazia's president in September.

Thursday's unrest came as the authorities were set to review a call by opposition leader Alkhas Kvitsinia to void the results of his runoff against Khadzhimba.

Khadzhimba's office denounced the protest as a coup attempt. The Russian embassy in Abkhazia said it was following the situation.

Later on Thursday, Khadzhimba said in a statement that he did not rule out the possibility that a state of emergency may be declared.

"All state government bodies are operating in the routine mode. The law enforcement agencies have been placed on a heightened state of alert. In case of a need, I will take measures to impose a state of emergency in the country," he said.

"We have already discussed such development of the events with the security council," Khadzhimba said.

Posted by Fred 2020-01-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 Georgia broke away from Russia. Abkhazia broke away from Georgia. Who's going to break away from Abkhazia?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-01-10 11:10|| 2020-01-10 11:10|| Front Page Top

#2 Ossetia

Posted by Lex 2020-01-10 11:25|| 2020-01-10 11:25|| Front Page Top

#3 ... from which Circassia will break away, from which Novo-Assyria will break away, from which the Djugashviki Clans will break away, from which ...

Posted by Lex 2020-01-10 11:28|| 2020-01-10 11:28|| Front Page Top

#4 😢

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-01-10 11:38|| 2020-01-10 11:38|| Front Page Top

#5 This is the world of Hadji Murat. What does anyone expect from these people?

Posted by Lex 2020-01-10 11:42|| 2020-01-10 11:42|| Front Page Top

#6 Isn't it kinda like the Hatfields and the McCoys?

Posted by Abu Uluque 2020-01-10 12:44|| 2020-01-10 12:44|| Front Page Top

#7 No, much more complicated, as Tolstoy knew.

Hadji Murat is a Chechen rebel who has fought fiercely and courageously against the Russian empire. After a feud with his commander he defects to the Russians, only to find that he is now trusted by neither side. He is first welcomed but then imprisoned by the Russians under suspicion of being a spy, and when he hears news of his wife and son held captive by the Chechens, Murat risks all to try to save his family.

Posted by Lex 2020-01-10 14:02|| 2020-01-10 14:02|| Front Page Top

#8 Here I though Abkhazia is where all The Walking Dead and other hollywooders are living.

Posted by swksvolFF 2020-01-10 15:23|| 2020-01-10 15:23|| Front Page Top

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