Anas Kishmaria, Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Abkhazia, made her annual repor
15 April 2026
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Abkhazia, Anas Kishmaria, delivered her annual report at a session of the National Assembly – Parliament of Abkhazia on Tuesday, April 14. The deputies, having heard the report on the results of activities for 2025, took it into consideration in accordance with Article 19 of the Law "On the Commissioner for Human Rights."
Parliament Speaker Lasha Ashuba noted that the report touched upon many issues that concern the population. "One of the main issues that I am sure the deputies will now discuss is the topic of domestic violence and the relevant draft law. Representatives of the Prosecutor's Office and the presidential administration are present here today. We plan to discuss these issues in the very near future and have already scheduled meetings of relevant committees. The Committee on State and Legal Policy, under the leadership of Daut Khutab, will be the primary committee. The Committee on Social Policy is also involved in this work. Additionally, I think you, Anas Ruslanovna, as well as the Commissioner for Children's Rights and representatives of authorized bodies, will join the discussion," L. Ashuba said. He praised the work of the Institute of the Commissioner for Human Rights, which turned 10 on March 1. "Since its foundation, this institution has proven its importance to the state, although some citizens and public figures remain skeptical about it. We consider the work of the Ombudsman necessary. This is a body accountable to the Parliament, and the pain points you highlight resonate with both deputies and the executive branch, which ultimately has a positive effect on the adoption of new legislative acts and amendments to existing ones," L. Ashuba emphasized.
Dmitry Shamba, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Parliament of Abkhazia, noted that the reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights always contain information about violations of human and civil rights and freedoms. "Of course, this is typical not only for Abkhazia but for any other country. To a greater extent, the executive authorities may disagree with the criticism. But that's why we're building a democratic state, so that Abkhazia has institutions that point out mistakes that need to be corrected and prevented in the future. Therefore, I propose to take into account the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights. In the course of our work, we will familiarize ourselves with it in more detail and, if possible, take measures to address the violations that Anas Ruslanovna has mentioned," D. Shamba said.
A. Kishmaria, presenting the report on the work of the Commissioner's office for 2025, noted that the tragedy involving a child in the Gulrypsh district on April 7 somewhat sobered society, "which for a long time either tried to ignore the problem of family and household relations or excluded it from our daily lives." A. Kishmaria believes that the time has come not only to discuss amendments to current legislation but also to consider the possibility of discussing the law on family and domestic relations. "I know that this issue was discussed at the last meeting of the session, and instructions were given to the relevant committees… For our part, we are ready to take an active role in this work and explain why we need not just separate amendments as half-measures, but a comprehensive law that addresses all the difficulties we face on the ground," A. Kishmaria stated.
L. Ashuba asked First Deputy Prosecutor General Damir Kvitsinia for a comment. "Based on the results of the procedural check, a criminal case has been initiated. The aunt of the deceased young girl is currently in custody. The issue of bringing her as an accused will be resolved in the near future," D. Kvitsinia said. The Prosecutor believes that there are sufficient criminal measures in the legislation of the Republic applicable to such crimes. "There are relevant articles in the Criminal Code. They cannot be considered mild in terms of punishment. At the same time, I believe that based on the results of the investigation, an assessment of the activities of the social care authorities will certainly be given. There is preliminary information that they were aware of this situation. We will also establish this and provide an assessment," D. Kvitsinia emphasized. He does not rule out the possibility of stricter criminal liability but warns against hasty decisions. "This is a very difficult issue that requires careful study. Hasty conclusions should not be drawn here, and decisions should also be made cautiously," D. Kvitsinia said.
The speaker also asked the Ombudsman if the authorized bodies had responded to her appeal regarding the increase in electricity tariffs. "We received a response from the Ministry of Energy, but, unfortunately, the questions that concern citizens remained unanswered... An ordinary citizen who is an electricity consumer remains in the dark about what they pay for, at what tariff, and how much," A. Kishmaria noted.
L. Ashuba drew attention to the fact that the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights receives appeals from citizens of other states. "You mentioned that there have been appeals from Georgian citizens. What are they related to, and what questions do they address?" he asked. Deputy Daut Khutaba posed a similar question to the Commissioner. A. Kishmaria replied that appeals are accepted from all individuals. "We accept applications in any form convenient for a citizen: by e-mail, by phone, or in person," she said. As for the appeals from Georgian citizens, they are mainly related to the expiration of residence permits and documentation. According to A. Kishmaria, people occasionally encounter difficulties with documentation, but these have ceased to be widespread. "In 2025, we did not receive reports of difficulties in obtaining a residence permit," she noted. D. Khutaba did not rule out that such positive results were achieved through the coordinated efforts of the Ombudsman and Parliament.
Another topic that interested the deputies was cases of violence by law enforcement officers during detention or in relation to prisoners. A. Kishmaria reported that in 2025, there were several reports from relatives of individuals held in pre-trial detention and IVS. "For each of these reports, there were field visits and communication with the alleged victim, but none of these reports were confirmed. The relatives are simply worried. Here is the latest case: family members applied because the person was detained, investigative measures were underway, and he had no contact with his relatives. Naturally, panic ensued: they said they did not know where he was, which IVS he was being held in, and how safe he was. The last of the verified reports was at the end of the year, and, thank God, it was not confirmed. Nothing threatened the citizen's life or health," she stressed.
MP Kan Kvarchia asked whether the Commissioner's office responds only to official statements or also to facts. A. Kishmaria explained that the Commissioner's office responds to all appeals, but not all become subjects of public discussion. "If we hear about facts involving any illegal actions, then in accordance with our available powers, we investigate the details and circumstances, but we do not make public statements," she said.
[Annual Report on the activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Abkhazia for 2025]
(https://ombudsmanra.org/upload/iblock/2d1/2d19f909979b5339f7fe99d5494f28c4.pdf )
Parliament Speaker Lasha Ashuba noted that the report touched upon many issues that concern the population. "One of the main issues that I am sure the deputies will now discuss is the topic of domestic violence and the relevant draft law. Representatives of the Prosecutor's Office and the presidential administration are present here today. We plan to discuss these issues in the very near future and have already scheduled meetings of relevant committees. The Committee on State and Legal Policy, under the leadership of Daut Khutab, will be the primary committee. The Committee on Social Policy is also involved in this work. Additionally, I think you, Anas Ruslanovna, as well as the Commissioner for Children's Rights and representatives of authorized bodies, will join the discussion," L. Ashuba said. He praised the work of the Institute of the Commissioner for Human Rights, which turned 10 on March 1. "Since its foundation, this institution has proven its importance to the state, although some citizens and public figures remain skeptical about it. We consider the work of the Ombudsman necessary. This is a body accountable to the Parliament, and the pain points you highlight resonate with both deputies and the executive branch, which ultimately has a positive effect on the adoption of new legislative acts and amendments to existing ones," L. Ashuba emphasized.
Dmitry Shamba, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the Parliament of Abkhazia, noted that the reports of the Commissioner for Human Rights always contain information about violations of human and civil rights and freedoms. "Of course, this is typical not only for Abkhazia but for any other country. To a greater extent, the executive authorities may disagree with the criticism. But that's why we're building a democratic state, so that Abkhazia has institutions that point out mistakes that need to be corrected and prevented in the future. Therefore, I propose to take into account the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights. In the course of our work, we will familiarize ourselves with it in more detail and, if possible, take measures to address the violations that Anas Ruslanovna has mentioned," D. Shamba said.
A. Kishmaria, presenting the report on the work of the Commissioner's office for 2025, noted that the tragedy involving a child in the Gulrypsh district on April 7 somewhat sobered society, "which for a long time either tried to ignore the problem of family and household relations or excluded it from our daily lives." A. Kishmaria believes that the time has come not only to discuss amendments to current legislation but also to consider the possibility of discussing the law on family and domestic relations. "I know that this issue was discussed at the last meeting of the session, and instructions were given to the relevant committees… For our part, we are ready to take an active role in this work and explain why we need not just separate amendments as half-measures, but a comprehensive law that addresses all the difficulties we face on the ground," A. Kishmaria stated.
L. Ashuba asked First Deputy Prosecutor General Damir Kvitsinia for a comment. "Based on the results of the procedural check, a criminal case has been initiated. The aunt of the deceased young girl is currently in custody. The issue of bringing her as an accused will be resolved in the near future," D. Kvitsinia said. The Prosecutor believes that there are sufficient criminal measures in the legislation of the Republic applicable to such crimes. "There are relevant articles in the Criminal Code. They cannot be considered mild in terms of punishment. At the same time, I believe that based on the results of the investigation, an assessment of the activities of the social care authorities will certainly be given. There is preliminary information that they were aware of this situation. We will also establish this and provide an assessment," D. Kvitsinia emphasized. He does not rule out the possibility of stricter criminal liability but warns against hasty decisions. "This is a very difficult issue that requires careful study. Hasty conclusions should not be drawn here, and decisions should also be made cautiously," D. Kvitsinia said.
The speaker also asked the Ombudsman if the authorized bodies had responded to her appeal regarding the increase in electricity tariffs. "We received a response from the Ministry of Energy, but, unfortunately, the questions that concern citizens remained unanswered... An ordinary citizen who is an electricity consumer remains in the dark about what they pay for, at what tariff, and how much," A. Kishmaria noted.
L. Ashuba drew attention to the fact that the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights receives appeals from citizens of other states. "You mentioned that there have been appeals from Georgian citizens. What are they related to, and what questions do they address?" he asked. Deputy Daut Khutaba posed a similar question to the Commissioner. A. Kishmaria replied that appeals are accepted from all individuals. "We accept applications in any form convenient for a citizen: by e-mail, by phone, or in person," she said. As for the appeals from Georgian citizens, they are mainly related to the expiration of residence permits and documentation. According to A. Kishmaria, people occasionally encounter difficulties with documentation, but these have ceased to be widespread. "In 2025, we did not receive reports of difficulties in obtaining a residence permit," she noted. D. Khutaba did not rule out that such positive results were achieved through the coordinated efforts of the Ombudsman and Parliament.
Another topic that interested the deputies was cases of violence by law enforcement officers during detention or in relation to prisoners. A. Kishmaria reported that in 2025, there were several reports from relatives of individuals held in pre-trial detention and IVS. "For each of these reports, there were field visits and communication with the alleged victim, but none of these reports were confirmed. The relatives are simply worried. Here is the latest case: family members applied because the person was detained, investigative measures were underway, and he had no contact with his relatives. Naturally, panic ensued: they said they did not know where he was, which IVS he was being held in, and how safe he was. The last of the verified reports was at the end of the year, and, thank God, it was not confirmed. Nothing threatened the citizen's life or health," she stressed.
MP Kan Kvarchia asked whether the Commissioner's office responds only to official statements or also to facts. A. Kishmaria explained that the Commissioner's office responds to all appeals, but not all become subjects of public discussion. "If we hear about facts involving any illegal actions, then in accordance with our available powers, we investigate the details and circumstances, but we do not make public statements," she said.
[Annual Report on the activities of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the Republic of Abkhazia for 2025]
(https://ombudsmanra.org/upload/iblock/2d1/2d19f909979b5339f7fe99d5494f28c4.pdf )