The murder of the Orenburg resident near Gagra continued the trend of attacks on tourists in Abkhazia.

The murder of 26-year-old Orenburg resident Amina Bikbova fits into the trend of attacks on tourists in Abkhazia that have occurred in recent months. Residents of the republic, commenting on this incident on social media, criticized the early release of the murder suspect Edgar Abukhba, who had previously been convicted for attempting to attack another tourist. They also expressed concern that attacks on vacationers could reduce the flow of tourists to the republic.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 27, it became known that resident of Abkhazia Edgar Abukhba was detained on suspicion of murdering 26-year-old tourist Amina Bikbova from the Orenburg region, who had not been in contact with her relatives for three days. According to the investigation, Abukhba confessed to the murder of the girl.

Commentators demanded punishment for those responsible for Abukhba's release

The post about the murder of Amina Bikbova was published on September 27 by the Instagram*-public chp_abh, which has about 103,000 followers. As of 09:50 Moscow time on September 28, this post had received 1,133 likes and 711 comments.

Commentators, positioning themselves as residents of Abkhazia, criticized Abukhba's release and stated that those who made the decision to release him should also be held accountable. "Let them start with those who let him go. If it weren't for them, she would be alive now," said user prokat_avto_abkhazia_2525.

"We need to involve those who released him early!" wrote saya__ameliya.

"How did a person who received 9 years end up free without serving even half?" asked kaia_fujiyama.

Other users linked the incident to the issue of safety for vacationers in Abkhazia. "Are there still people going to Gagra for vacation? No words," noted malkhaz_maxo.

"What is happening in Abkhazia! A couple of days ago, a girl posted that her wallet was stolen, and they wrote to her: look in the forest, there are plenty after the season, there are more drug addicts than in all of Russia, constant fights, how do you live there? Aren't you tired of living like this? Don't you have anyone who can restore order?" asked 13.katrina13.

"A few years ago, we were sitting on the beach in Gagra for about 20 hours, and a shootout started behind us, about thirty meters away. At first, the guys were talking, and then they pulled out weapons. We were in shock, we lay down and waited for it to end. Then they drove off as if nothing had happened," shared jullliyyya.

Some discussion participants suggested that the high-profile crime could reduce tourist flow and impact earnings in the tourism sector. "Complete lawlessness, lack of service, astronomical prices, and now they have started killing, but you will still go there," wrote dmitry.kravchenko.1990.

"Are you tired of everything? Welcome to Abkhazia! You will be beaten for free; your wallet will be emptied. And note, all this is free, with pleasure and support from the local population. Now, apparently, only such a promotional slogan about our Abkhazia should be held by every tourist. We continue to "prosper," wrote user cilya123.

Analysts explained the reasons for attacks on tourists in Abkhazia

In recent months, a number of incidents involving attacks on tourists have occurred in Abkhazia. For example, on August 26, during an excursion to Lake Ritsa, a conflict occurred between a group of eight Russian tourists, including women and an eight-year-old child, and local residents. According to one of the victims, the conflict began after a dispute over an additional charge for the excursion and then continued in a cafe after a tourist complained about the quality of food and prices. As a result, two tourists sustained soft tissue injuries and a concussion.

On August 2 in Sukhum, recidivist Akhra Kvekveskiri attacked a 37-year-old resident of Cherkessk who had come for vacation, and she was hospitalized with a concussion and other injuries. Kvekveskiri was supposed to be under house arrest on charges of kidnapping.

On March 13, 2025, Russian tourist Konstantin Belozerov received a gunshot wound in Gagra after a conflict over a dress code. According to his wife, she was forced to say that her husband was injured in an accident, while sources reported that one of the Abkhaz officials was involved in the conflict.

Conflicts between tourists and residents of Abkhazia are rare, and individual incidents are related to the human factor, the peculiarities of local service, and problems with the gray tourism business, noted Abkhaz analysts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" on September 16.

In the conflict at Lake Ritsa, both sides behaved incorrectly, believes a analyst who has studied Abkhazia for many years. "Both the local guys were hot-headed, and the tourists <...>. You could say, two solitudes met," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" on condition of anonymity.

Conflicts depend primarily on the behavior of specific individuals, noted political scientist David Dasania. "It all depends on the human factor. People can be different. As far as I know, many tourists from Russia spoke negatively about those who were beaten: they violated public order <...>, behaved provocatively, and someone couldn't hold back. However, in general, Russian tourists and Russians, in particular, behave adequately if they are in love with this land," he told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Conflicts with tourists are rather isolated incidents, and visitors should take local cultural norms into account, noted an employee of the NGO "Center for Humanitarian Programs" Said Gezeradava. "Clients should consider local cultural norms, at a basic level, of course, and we will not turn a blind eye to the behavior of a client just because he pays," he explained to a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".