Abkhazian Supreme Court Sentences Citizen to 15 Years for High Treason

SUKHUM / AQW'A ― The Supreme Court of Abkhazia has sentenced Kakha Muradov, a citizen of Abkhazia, to 15 years in a high-security penal colony after convicting him of high treason and illegal possession of firearms.

Muradov was found guilty under Article 273 (High Treason) and part one of Article 217 (Illegal Possession of Firearms) of the Criminal Code of Abkhazia. The verdict can be appealed within 15 working days.

Muradov’s arrest dates back to 9 May 2024, when officers from the State Security Service (SSS) of Abkhazia detained him in Gagra. Investigators revealed that Muradov had gathered and transmitted classified information to Georgian intelligence services, compromising the security of Abkhazia. He was also found to have maintained connections with former commanders of the so-called Gagra Battalion of the Georgian State Council, members of the radical nationalist group Mkhedrioni (The Mkhedrioni, founded by Jaba Ioseliani, was a Georgian nationalist terrorist organisation that existed from 1989 to 1995. ―Ed.)

Kakha Muradov, convicted of espionage for Georgian intelligence.

The investigation established that Muradov was tasked by Georgian intelligence to monitor military activity in Abkhazia, including tracking the movement of armoured vehicles and other military assets. He was also directed to infiltrate government institutions and military facilities to collect sensitive information.

Muradov admitted during interrogation that he had been recruited by Georgian intelligence in the late 1990s and had periodically travelled to Georgia for instructions. He disclosed that he was involved in photographing key locations in Abkhazia and attempting to recruit others to support the idea of reintegrating Abkhazia with Georgia.

The case highlights the ongoing threats to Abkhazia's national security, with officials cautioning about Georgian intelligence actively working to undermine the region's stability.