Abkhaz Govt, Parliament at Odds over Amnesty

Moscow-backed Abkhaz government’s executive and legislative branches came at odds over the act of prisoner amnesty adopted on September 24 in commemoration of the 27th anniversary of “victory and independence day.” Abkhaz “interior ministry,” “justice minister” and prosecutor general lined up to condemn the move by the “parliament,” while the latter accused the government of discreditation attempts.

According to the amnesty act, all prisoners sent to jail for up to three years, persons with prison term up to five years that participated in 1992-93 armed conflict or Kodori gorge operation in 2008, as well as minors, women over 55 and men over 60, among others, are set to be released.

“The interior ministry” of the occupied region said on September 26 that the decision on amnesty comes “in contradiction to the principle of inevitability of punishment.”

Abkhaz “justice minister” Anri Bartsits also voiced his criticism against the bill on September 28, stating that the act can discredit and undermine “general line of the Abkhaz government.” The region’s prosecutor general Adgur Agrba also spoke against the parliamentary decision.

Responding to the executive branch’s criticism, occupied region’s parliament said in a statement of September 29, that it “declares its deepest concerns and expresses its decisive indignation on the unfounded attempts of the executive government representatives and Abkhaz State TV and Radio Company to discredit the parliament.”

Explaining the motivation to adopt the act, the author of the bill, ‘lawmaker’ Valery Agrba noted that the adopted of the act followed numerous appeals by war veterans, the Amtsakhara party, the Aruaa – influential group of war veterans, and Abash organizations, as well as the prisoners themselves and their relatives.

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