In Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, a presidential election on Sunday ended without a clear winner, leading to a runoff between the two leading candidates, as reported by the state news agency Apsnypress on Monday.
According to Abkhazia's electoral commission, acting President Badra Gunba secured 46% of the vote, with opposition leader Adgur Ardzinba closely behind with nearly 37%.
Gunba, who previously served as vice president, assumed leadership in November following his predecessor's resignation due to protests against a Russian investment agreement. This marks the third instance of a leader being ousted in Abkhazia since 2014 amid mass demonstrations.
Abkhazia, a lush coastal region on the Black Sea with a population of around 240,000, gained independence from Georgia after a conflict in the early 1990s, supported by Russia. Moscow recognized Abkhazia's independence after a subsequent war in 2008. The expulsion of tens of thousands of ethnic Georgians followed, with most nations, aside from a few exceptions, regarding Abkhazia as part of Georgia.
Despite its reliance on Russia for political and economic support, some Abkhazians have expressed concerns about what they perceive as an increasing Russian influence in the region.
The Russian Investigative Committee announced the opening of a probe on Monday in response to alleged threats and rights violations against Russian citizens in Abkhazia. Reports stated that individuals linked to one of the presidential candidates were pressuring residents, including those holding Russian citizenship, to support specific political factions. Additionally, threats of violence were allegedly directed towards Abkhazian and Russian citizens of Armenian descent.
The committee did not provide further details on the reported threats or disclose the identity of the candidate under investigation.