23:47, 12 March 2020

Activists suspend hunger strike in Sukhumi

Djansukh Adleiba (in the center), Ivan Achba (in the maroon jacket) and other participants of the hunger strike. Photo by Djansukh Adleiba for the "Caucasian Knot"

In Sukhumi, five hunger-strikers stopped their protest in a square in anticipation of the outcome of a meeting of the Abkhazian parliament. If anti-corruption laws are not updated, the hunger strike will be resumed, activists state.

On March 11, in Sukhumi, hundreds of protesters supported a hunger strike with the demand to ratify the article on illicit enrichment included in the UN Convention against Corruption. The number of hunger-strikers grew to six, but one of them, Bota Azhiba, was hospitalized.

On February 6, the parliament of Abkhazia adopted a law providing declaration by officials of their incomes, expenses, and property. The law will not enter into force until late 2020, although activists insisted that it should take effect before the presidential election.

Bota Azhiba, a participant of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, a Category II Invalid, says that on March 11, he was hospitalized with high blood pressure, but is already at home today.

"I defended Abkhazia, liberated it, and thought that we would live well. But so far we cannot restore our country because of rampant corruption," the man said.

As of March 10, activists raised over 8000 signatures in support of the initiative voiced by the hunger-strikers.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 12, 2020 at 01:21 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Anna Gritsevich

Source: CK correspondent