Abkhaz activists demand the resignation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Abkhaz public organizations have called on the president to dismiss Interior Minister Robert Kiuta, questioning the legality of the procedure for issuing Russian passports in Abkhazia.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 6, the Russian Embassy in Abkhazia announced the cessation of issuing Russian passports in Abkhazia. This decision was made following statements by Abkhaz parliamentarians who questioned the legality of the issuing centers for Russian documents that opened in January.
As of February 6, at the initiative of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the exchange of driver's licenses for Russian ones has also been suspended, the Abkhaz Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. A number of Abkhaz politicians criticized their colleagues whose statements prompted the Russian side to close the distribution points, while local activists supported the decision. The mass issuance of internal documents "of one state on the territory of another means the loss of subjectivity and the formation of a protectorate regime," stated, in particular, the public movement "Apsuaa Rymch."
An appeal to the President of Abkhazia Badr Gunbe demanding the resignation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Robert Kiut, was posted on February 9 in its Telegram channel by the public organization of veterans of the 1992-1993 war "Aruaa".
"We, representatives of "Aruaa", are not against the issuance of internal Russian passports on the territory of Abkhazia within the framework of the laws of the Republic of Abkhazia. According to available information, it was precisely because of the incompetence of R.V. Kiut that the procedure for issuing internal Russian passports was illegal. This created a precedent that could have long-term negative consequences for the legal system and interstate relations. Such an approach to resolving strategically important issues is unacceptable for the head of a security agency. The events provoked by the Minister of Internal Affairs have led to a significant complication of relations between Abkhazia and the Russian Federation," the statement reads.
If the demand is ignored, members of Aruaa threatened to "initiate public meetings within the framework of the laws of the Republic of Abkhazia demanding the resignation of the Minister of Internal Affairs."
The public movement "Apsuaa Rymch" made a similar call on February 9. Activists stated that the minister's actions "damage Abkhazia's image as a sovereign state governed by the rule of law."
"Interior Minister R.V. Kiut has committed a gross violation of the Constitution by allowing the issuance of foreign internal passports and driver's licenses in state institutions on the territory of our country. [...] We, Abkhazians living on our land, in connection with the complete loss of trust in Robert Vitalyevich Kiut, demand that the President of the Republic of Abkhazia immediately resign," reads a statement published by the Aiashara news agency.
The agency also published a statement from the Supreme Council of the public organization "Aidgylara" dated February 9.
"The public organization "Aidgylara" is deeply concerned about the illegal issuance of internal passports of the Russian Federation and driver's licenses of the Russian Federation in departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia," the authors noted. statements.
They called on the President of Abkhazia to "provide a legal assessment and resolve the issue of the advisability of R.V. Kiut's tenure as Minister of Internal Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister of the government."
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Presidential Administration of Abkhazia, as of 9:45 a.m. Moscow time, had not commented on the public organizations' statements on their websites or Telegram channels.
As a reminder, the issuance of Russian passports to Abkhaz citizens who also hold Russian citizenship was carried out on the basis of an agreement on the settlement of dual citizenship issues, which entered into force in April 2025. On July 17, 2025, Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing for the issuance of internal Russian passports in Abkhazia.
Earlier, on April 1, 2025, Putin also issued a decree simplifying the issuance of Russian driver's licenses to Abkhaz citizens holding Russian citizenship or residency in Russia. Some drivers complained that they spent money on paperwork without knowing about the upcoming change. Unexpired Abkhaz driver's licenses are valid in Russia until April 1, 2026.
Most residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia obtained Russian passports before 2008. According to estimates from the Warsaw Institute, an analytical and research center, by 2008, up to 85% of the population of Abkhazia and more than 90% of the population of South Ossetia held Russian passports.
Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/420675
![Tumso Abdurakhmanov. Screenshot from video posted by Abu-Saddam Shishani [LIVE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIR3s7AB0Uw](/system/uploads/article_image/image/0001/18460/main_image_Tumso.jpg "Tumso Abdurakhmanov. Screenshot from video posted by Abu-Saddam Shishani [LIVE] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIR3s7AB0Uw")