Detention of ethnic Georgians on charges of espionage continue in occupied Abkhazia.

On 10 March 2026, the de facto State Security Service of Abkhazia arrested Georgian citizen Emzar Baghishvili on allegations of espionage. According to official statements, Baghishvili is accused of collecting and transmitting information to Georgian intelligence services regarding the socio-political situation in the republic, as well as details about military equipment and transportation routes.

Despite these allegations, the so-called security service has not, to date, presented any form of evidence to substantiate the charges.

In recent years, the detention of ethnic Georgians on “espionage” charges has become an established practice in Abkhazia. On 1 October 2025, Shalva Khizanishvili, a resident of the Gali district, was detained under similar charges. Since 2022, two additional individuals have been detained on the same grounds. Notably, in none of these cases has the de facto prosecution publicly presented evidence; nevertheless, all detainees have been sentenced to imprisonment.

The ongoing practice of arbitrary detentions by the so-called Abkhaz State Security Service under accusations of “exposing spies” raises well-founded suspicions that the de facto security structures are attempting to instill fear within society. This appears aimed at suppressing the expression of critical opinions on social, political, and economic issues.

The offical response from the Georgian side to these incidents has largely been limited to activating the hotline mechanism, which, given the scale of the problem, is insufficient.

DRI calls on international organizations to:

• Ensure the strengthening of international monitoring mechanisms to assess the human rights situation in the occupied territory of Abkhazia;
• Use all available diplomatic and legal instruments to protect the rights of individuals who have been unlawfully detained.