PM of Breakaway Abkhazia Beaten Up
Prime Minister of breakaway Abkhazia, Beslan Butba, suffered a concussion after being attacked and beaten up in Sokhumi on Saturday evening, Russian news agencies reported citing Abkhaz officials.
Butba, who became the PM in late September, was attacked when driving a car, which was also carrying his wife and children, according to the breakaway region’s interior minister Raul Lolua, who said that assailants blocked PM’s car with their vehicle and then attacked Butba. The latter received first aid in hospital and was discharged on the same day. Security guard was not accompanying the PM at the time of attack, according to the Abkhaz interior ministry.
Two men suspected of attacking Butba have been arrested; they were legally drunk, according to the breakaway region’s interior ministry. Reports say that they are employees of the breakaway region’s customs department. Motives behind the attack were not reported.
Raul Khajimba, who took the office of breakaway region’s president in late September, summoned the security council on Sunday and said that the incident was “symptomatic” as for years the authorities have been ignorant towards those people who are “demonstratively” defying laws, Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported.
“Law enforcement agencies – these are not a decoration. They should show their force,” Khajimba said and also told the leadership of the law enforcement agencies: “I demand from you to immediately use all the resources for establishing order. I will not tolerate criminals imposing their lifestyle on the society.”