Main points about the abductions of foreign citizens in Abkhazia

The detention of Abkhazian resident Edgar Abukhba on suspicion of murdering Russian tourist Amina Bikbova has once again drawn attention to the safety of tourists in the republic. Abukhba had previously been convicted of the rape and abduction of a Russian tourist. "Caucasian Knot" has gathered the most well-known cases of abductions of foreign citizens in Abkhazia, as well as information about their investigations.

On September 27, 2026, it became known that Abkhazian resident Edgar Abukhba was detained on suspicion of murdering 26-year-old resident of the Orenburg region Amina Bikbova, who had not been in contact with her relatives for three days. According to the investigation, Abukhba confessed to the murder.

In July 2019, Abukhba had already committed a crime against a Russian tourist: he took her to an abandoned building in Sukhum, where he raped and beat her, and then stole her phones, money, and jewelry. In 2021, he was sentenced to nine years in prison, and in February 2024, he was released. After Abukhba's release, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the punishment excessively lenient and warned about the risks of traveling to Abkhazia.

The murder of Bikbova occurred against the backdrop of several reports of attacks on tourists in Abkhazia in recent months. "Caucasian Knot" has gathered the most well-known cases of abductions of foreign citizens in the republic and the response of the Abkhaz authorities to these crimes.

May 2026 – Turkish citizens Burhan Soyak and Bayram Abdullah

On May 11, three Turkish citizens – Burhan Soyak, Bayram Abdullah, and Tayfun Tokoglu were abducted by an armed group using violence in the village of Duripsh in the Gudaout district. According to the General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia, they were forcibly placed in a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and transported to a location for further detention. Burhan Soyak's relatives were demanded to pay 5 million dollars for their release 1.

On May 14, the State Security Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia located all three, released them, and brought them to the State Security Service building. On May 15, the General Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal case on charges of kidnapping, extortion, and illegal possession of weapons. Alexander Yeremen, Gekhan Celikcan, and Taryk Ashuba were detained 2.

During the investigation, the status of Tayfun Tokoglu changed: initially, he was considered a victim, but on May 17, the prosecutor's office reported his detention on suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping and extortion. Shadi Ajiba and Aslan Ardzimba were also detained 3.

On September 14, 2026, Abkhazian special services detained another suspect, Guram Ardzinba, who is linked to the abduction of two Turkish citizens 4.

April 2023 – Russian citizens Leonid Shokler and Ismail Sheikh

On April 14, around 18:30, Leonid Shokler was forcibly placed in a car near the "Sukhum-market" shopping complex in Sukhum and taken to the village of Achadara. According to the investigation, he was repeatedly moved to different addresses and subjected to life-threatening violence. After Shokler's mother paid a ransom of 5 thousand dollars, he was released on April 18 5.

On April 19, his friend Ismail Sheikh was abducted from the apartment where Leonid Shokler lived. He was deceived and taken to the village of Okum in the Gali district and was also tortured. Sheikh managed to escape from captivity and contact the police 6.

On April 24, six local residents were detained in connection with the case – Arthur Kvekveskiri, Adgur Kharchilava, Alias Kharchilava, Timuri Alkhoreba, Adgur Avidzba, and Alan Lomia. Subsequently, the materials of the case regarding the two abductions were sent to the Military Court of Abkhazia 7.

February 2018 – Turkish citizen Selim Kaya

On February 9, two armed masked men stopped the car in which Turkish citizen, fishing vessel captain Selim Kaya, was traveling and abducted him. According to the Abkhazian prosecutor's office, the attackers were armed with a pistol, and the windshield of the car abandoned near the village of Beslakhuba was shot out. The next day, the prosecutor's office of the Ochamchira district opened a criminal case on charges of kidnapping, robbery, and illegal possession of weapons 8.

In April, Turkish media reported that the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of 100 thousand dollars for Kaya's release, but later, after the father of the abducted came to Abkhazia to inquire about the actions of law enforcement, the ransom amount increased to 2 million dollars. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly announced efforts to secure the release of the Turkish citizen 9.

On May 30, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia found Kaya in Sukhum. After a medical examination, his condition was deemed satisfactory 10.

No public information has been reported about the detention of specific perpetrators or organizers of this crime, nor about subsequent judicial proceedings.

June–October 2018 – Russian citizen Maxim Yakovlev

On June 20, three armed masked men broke into a hotel in New Athos at night, where Maxim Yakovlev – the head of the "Poligrafoformlenie" holding, a shareholder of the Kirov plant, who was wanted by Interpol – was staying. The kidnappers took Yakovlev out of the hotel and drove him away in an unknown direction. According to the prosecutor's office of the Gudaout district of Abkhazia, a criminal case was opened regarding the attack and abduction of the Russian citizen 11. A representative of the Gudaout district prosecutor's office stated that Yakovlev was not missing as a tourist but was kidnapped as a major businessman 12.

Later, a ransom demand of 200 million rubles was communicated to his relatives. Russian media reported that Yakovlev might be in a basement and that his relatives were negotiating with the kidnappers. The Investigative Committee of St. Petersburg opened a criminal case regarding the abduction of the Russian citizen abroad for life and 200 million 13.

On October 6, Yakovlev was released in the territory of Abkhazia and taken to St. Petersburg 14. According to reports from the "Fontanka" publication, negotiations for his release and the transfer of money took place with the participation of civilians and Russian officials, and the Abkhaz law enforcement agencies were not informed in advance. "Fontanka" also reported that Ramzan Kadyrov offered assistance in Yakovlev's release 15.

The General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia reported that the search for those involved in his abduction continues 16. However, no public information has been published regarding the prosecution of the kidnappers or the issuance of sentences.

September 2016 – Russian citizen Vachagan Petrosyan

On September 29, 2016, in the Ochamchira district, a car in which Russian entrepreneur Vachagan Petrosyan and his companion were traveling was pursued by a vehicle disguised as a traffic police patrol car. The people inside were dressed in road police uniforms.

They forced Petrosyan to stop and transferred him and his companion to their car and took them to the village of Tsagera, where practically no one had lived since the Georgian-Abkhaz war of the 1990s. There, the criminals burned both cars (their fake one and Petrosyan's) to destroy evidence. Petrosyan's companion was soon released, while the Russian businessman was taken away in an unknown direction. Both the abducted person's car and the one used to take him away were burned 17.

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia, Aslan Kobakhia, officially confirmed the fact of the abduction. Operational groups from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service of the republic were involved in the search for the entrepreneur, and a criminal case was opened. The kidnappers did not make contact or issue demands 18.

No information about the detention of suspects, special operations for the release, or the discovery of the entrepreneur's body has appeared in the following years.

1999–2003

In June 2002, Russian entrepreneur and banker Stavro Stilidi was kidnapped by unknown individuals. RIA "Oreadna" reported that he was captured on the road from Sukhum to Eshera. The investigation into the kidnapping of Stilidi was conducted by the General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia, while unofficial negotiations were held in Moscow. The head of the press center of the Ministry of State Security of Georgia, Nika Laliashvili, stated that the Georgian side could not intervene in the situation since Tbilisi's jurisdiction does not extend to the territory of Abkhazia. Stilidi was released in September 2002. Some media reported possible ransom, but these were not confirmed.

From October 1999 to June 2003, a series of abductions of UNOMIG staff and other international workers occurred in the zone of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict 19. In a 2002 UN Security Council resolution, both the Georgian and Abkhaz sides were urged to hold the participants accountable. In June 2003, the UN Security Council noted that none of the participants in previous abductions had been identified or held accountable 20.

Notes

  1. In Abkhazia, suspects in the abduction of Turkish citizens were detained // TASS, 16.05.2026.
  2. A criminal case was opened regarding the abduction of Turkish citizens // genproc.apsny.land, 18.05.2026.
  3. Supplement to previously published information regarding the abduction of Turkish citizens and extortion of money // genproc.apsny.land, 18.05.2026.
  4. The sixth suspect in the abduction of Turkish citizens was detained in Abkhazia // Our Abkhazia, 14.09.2026.
  5. Two Russians were abducted in Abkhazia, and a ransom was demanded for them // sovanews.tv, 26.04.2023.
  6. General Prosecutor's Office: A criminal case was opened regarding the abduction of two Russian citizens // APSADGIL, 25.04.2023.
  7. Two Russian citizens were abducted in Abkhazia, tortured, and a ransom was demanded // https://sochi1.ru, 26.04.2023.
  8. A Turkish fishing vessel captain was mysteriously abducted in Abkhazia // JAMnews, 10.02.2018.
  9. A ransom of 2 million dollars is demanded for the abducted Turkish citizen in Abkhazia // Our Abkhazia, 06.04.2018.
  10. Turkish citizen Kaya Selim was released // genproc.apsny.land, 01.06.2018.
  11. A wanted Interpol shareholder of the Kirov plant was abducted in Abkhazia // RBC, 18.07.2018.
  12. The head of the St. Petersburg holding "Poligrafoformlenie" was abducted in Abkhazia // Novaya Gazeta (listed in the register of foreign agents). 18.07.2018.
  13. A Kyrgyz trace in the Abkhaz abduction of a shareholder of the Kirov plant // Fontanka.ru, 18.07.2018.
  14. Businessman Maxim Yakovlev was returned by the kidnappers // apsadgil.info, 07.10.2018.
  15. A surprise for the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Abkhazia // Fontanka.ru, 07.10.2018.
  16. The General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia continues the search for those involved in the abduction of St. Petersburg businessman Maxim Yakovlev // Sputnik Abkhazia, 07.10.2018.
  17. An entrepreneur from Russia was abducted in Abkhazia // Kommersant, 03.10.2016.
  18. A Russian entrepreneur was abducted in Abkhazia // Our Abkhazia, 04.10.2016.
  19. https://press.un.org/en/1999/19991013.db101399.doc.html
  20. https://press.un.org/en/2004/sc7976.doc.htm
Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/427136