Police brutality addressed in Abkhazia
In Abkhazia, a policeman was arrested after gaining notoriety from a video circulating online showing him beating a detainee. The widespread public outcry likely played a role in holding him accountable, rather than the incident being covered up as usual.
A criminal case has been initiated against Lieutenant Mancha Kyakhba, accusing him of exceeding his official powers with the use of violence. He is currently under arrest for two months by the decision of the Sukhum City Court.
The investigation revealed that on February 3, 2024, in the building of the First Department of Sukhum Police, he inflicted at least 11 punches on Astamur Sabekia, who had been detained on suspicion of using violence and insulting Ministry of Internal Affairs employees in October 2023.
The video showing Mancha Kyakhba beating the detainee, while other officers present watched passively, was circulated on social media in mid-June.
Immediately following this, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that an internal investigation had already been conducted. Mancha Kyakhba was dismissed “for negative reasons,” and the “observers” received disciplinary action.
However, the lenient punishment outraged the public, especially since this is not the first scandal involving police brutality in Abkhazia. Such incidents occur regularly, and on two occasions, they have even resulted in the deaths of detainees.
- Police brutality in Abkhazia: Torture as the norm
- “Teenager arrested and beaten for wearing a hoodie” – Scandal in Abkhazia over police abuse
For once, justice has seemingly prevailed, or at least promises to do so. However, social media users remain skeptical, fearing the case might be quietly dropped once the public’s attention wanes.
Police brutality addressed in Abkhazia
Toponyms, terminology, views and opinions expressed by the author are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening or otherwise unacceptable.