MP killed in shooting at parliament in separatist region of Georgia

Another MP was injured in the shooting on Thursday in Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia.

An MP was killed on Thursday, December 19, in a shooting in the Parliament in Abkhazia, a separatist region of Georgia, during which one was also injured, announced the press service of the Abkhazian leader. “After being seriously injured, MP Vakhtang Golandzia died”said this source in a press release, adding that another deputy, Kan Kvartchia, had been injured during this shooting in Sukhumi, the local capital. “MP Kvartchia suffers moderate injuries”continued the press service of the current Abkhazian separatist leader, Badra Gounba, without giving further details on how the events unfolded or on the perpetrators.

Abkhazia, a small region located between the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, unilaterally declared its independence from Georgia in 1992 and was recognized by Russia, unlike almost the entire international community. It was recently shaken by demonstrations against an economic agreement with Moscow, signed at the end of October and allowing Russian companies to invest in Abkhazia.

On November 15, protesters managed to enter Parliament and a presidential administration building in order to prevent the ratification of this agreement. In the process, the leader of Abkhazia, Aslan Bjania, resigned, as demanded by the demonstrators. Badra Gounba must act as interim before a next early election.