The attack on the tourist in Sukhum continued the trend of violence against women in the South Caucasus.
A tourist from Cherkessk became a victim of an attack in Sukhum due to the authorities' inadequate control over the compliance of Akhra Kvekveskiri with the conditions of house arrest, social media users stated. Recently, the problem of violence against women has escalated in the South Caucasus. Reports about this from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have caused a public outcry.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on August 2 in Sukhum, local resident Akhra Kvekveskiri beat a 37-year-old tourist from Cherkessk, and the woman was hospitalized with a concussion and other injuries. Kvekveskiri was detained on August 11 and sent to a pre-trial detention center. At the time of the attack, he was supposed to be under house arrest as a suspect in a case of kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and illegal possession of firearms.
Commentators condemned Akhra Kvekveskiri for the attack on the tourist
Two posts about the attack on the tourist in Sukhum were published on the "Caucasian Knot" Facebook page*. Both posts collectively received 234 user reactions and 507 comments.
Commentators condemned the violence against the tourist. "Women are beaten not by bandits, but by cruel men. A real man does not hit a woman," stated Mamuka Nadiradze.
"Only [an extremely expressive person] can raise a hand against a woman," wrote Miriam Kokojev.
"What kind of men are left in the Caucasus who fight with women?" asked Ludmila Jun.
Many users were surprised that Kvekveskiri, given the severity of the charges against him, was under house arrest. "How did he end up under house arrest with such a bouquet of charges?" asked Grigory Burmistrov.
"Accused in a criminal case of kidnapping, extortion, robbery, illegal possession of firearms – and 'house arrest'. This is all you need to know about local judges and prosecutors," stated Pavel Petrovich.
"If he had been detained for all his previous cases before the trial, there would not have been a beaten woman," believes Valentina Fedorova.
Some commentators compared the attack in Sukhum to the case of Georgy Chigladze in Georgia. "Georgia – Abkhazia – 1:1, it's a draw for now. The attacker from Abkhazia equalized the score," wrote Lev Zimoy.
"Georgia was, now it's Abkhazia," noted Medea BruNetka.
The problem of violence against women has been relevant in the South Caucasus for a long time
Recently, the problem of violence against women has escalated in the South Caucasus. Attacks on tourists and local residents, as well as murders of women, which human rights defenders link to gender violence, have caused a public outcry.
In July, the attack by Georgy Chigladze on a tourist in a hotel in Telavi during his brother's wedding caused a wide public outcry. Chigladze hit the woman, after which he was detained and then released on bail. The incident caused a stir in Georgia and beyond, and later Chigladze's lawyers refused to defend him.
In June, the body of 20-year-old Azerbaijani resident Fatima Kerimova was found in a rented apartment in Tbilisi. Her sister reported that shortly before her death, the girl complained about threats from her cousin and sent photos showing signs of beatings. Human rights defenders considered the incident a femicide committed on the grounds of so-called "honor." The cousin accused of the murder, Emin Aliyev, was detained in Batumi in July.
In October 2025, 23-year-old Chechen native Aishat Baymurodova, who fled to Armenia to escape domestic violence, was found dead. Human rights defenders stated that Baymurodova became a victim of femicide. Armenian investigative authorities later announced that two suspects in the case were wanted and arrested them in absentia.
The problem of violence against women in the South Caucasus has remained acute for a long time. As early as 2018, the Georgian ombudsman reported on the beating of Maia Otinashvili, who was detained in the border area with South Ossetia. According to the woman's relatives, she was beaten after her detention, and her lawyer and independent observers were not allowed to meet with her. The authorities of South Ossetia did not comment on these claims at that time.