The Abkhaz Prosecutor's Office announced preventive measures for those involved in the incident involving political strategists.

Eshsou Kakalia and Aslan Kmuzov have been remanded in custody in connection with a criminal case involving an incident at the Abkhazian Herald newspaper's offices, the prosecutor's office announced. Kakalia and Kmuzov called the case fabricated.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, three Russian political strategists were detained on November 5, 2025, on the eve of municipal elections, at the office of the pro-presidential newspaper Abkhazian Herald, which was being published without permits. According to Abkhazian media, the political strategists were expelled from the republic. In late December, a court in Sukhumi found the actions of Russian political strategist Ivan Reva before the municipal elections to be violations of electoral law and fined him under three administrative offenses. The opposition demanded that the "Team Abkhazia" candidates, who had been campaigned for by Russians, be disqualified from the municipal elections. On November 24, it was announced that three suspects had been placed on the federal wanted list in a criminal case involving an armed robbery in Abkhazia (against Russian political strategists). "The involvement of Kan Kvarchia, Eshsou Kakalia, and Khyn Dumaa in the commission of this crime has been established and they have been placed on the federal wanted list," according to a statement on the website of the Sochi Department of Internal Affairs of the Krasnodar Krai Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The damages were estimated at 1.9 million rubles. The municipal elections, in which a team of Russian political strategists arrived, were aimed at eradicating political competition, and opposition representatives who interfered with the election results were subject to criminal prosecution in Russia, Abkhazian politicians stated, calling on the president to protect citizens' rights and the republic's sovereignty. Abkhazian President Badra Gunba stated that Abkhazian citizens, regardless of the crime they are suspected of committing, are not subject to extradition to another country in accordance with the Constitution.

On February 5, 2026, citizens Kakalia Eshsou Ivanovich and Kmuzov Aslan Borisovich, suspects in a criminal case related to the events that took place on November 5, 2025, at the office of the Abkhazian Herald newspaper, appeared at the Sukhum city prosecutor's office in response to previously issued subpoenas, the Abkhazian Prosecutor General's Office reported today on its Telegram channel.

Kakaliya and Kmuzov have been remanded in custody and ordered to remain in good behavior. They were also interrogated, during which they refused to testify. If the terms of their travel ban and proper behavior are violated, the chosen preventive measure may be replaced with a more stringent one. The department added that reports that David Nakopia is another defendant in the case are false.

Former Deputy Prosecutor General of Abkhazia, General Eshsou Kakalia, commented at the prosecutor's office on the actions of law enforcement in the criminal case against Russian political strategists, the Telegram channel Respublika reports.

"Today they tried to interrogate me as a suspect and impose a travel ban. I refused to sign it, stating that I would not comply with this measure. I consider the criminal case fabricated and politically motivated. I believe that the prosecutor's office should prosecute the head of the presidential administration, Beslan Eshba, and presidential adviser, Akhra Smyr, as the organizers of the criminal activities of Russian political strategists, against whom a criminal case has also been opened," said Eshsou Kakalia.

He recalled that those who opposed the "commercial" initiatives of former President Aslan Bzhania, which ran counter to the interests of the state and Abkhaz society, became "anti-Russian" and "pro-Turkish."

"If our government sees a crime in my actions, let them put me in jail. Our government does not recognize either our constitution or "Our legislation, nor sovereignty," the Telegram channel quotes him as saying.

Aslan Kmuzov stated that he only learned today that he is a defendant in a criminal case and that he has been placed on the wanted list in Russia.

"Today, a prosecutor's investigator informed me that I am a suspect in a criminal case related to the activities of Russian political strategists in Abkhazia. I am convinced that this criminal case was concocted out of thin air and is being passed off as reality. I will not let this go unnoticed and will not agree with this. I will not allow anyone to indiscriminately call me a criminal and will defend my rights within the law," Aslan Kmuzov stated.

According to him, he arrived at the office where the Abkhaz Herald editorial office was located after the SGB and Ministry of Internal Affairs officers had already arrived. "It's very easy to track all my movements; after all, there are call details, and there's no problem proving my words," Kmuzov added.