On December 18, one of the de facto deputies of the occupied Abkhazian region, Vakhtang Golandzia, was shot dead in the middle of an armed confrontation between two other de facto deputies, while the debate was going on in the de facto parliament on banning crypto-mining in the region.
The confrontation took place between Adgur Kharazia and Kan Kvarchia, near the so-called parliament building, during which Kharazia pulled out his pistol and intended to shoot Kvarchia. Golandzia stepped in to resolve the situation, but was shot instead. A bullet also hit Kvarchia’s hand. He is currently undergoing an operation.
It is not clear what prompted the confrontation and whether it was connected to the issue of crypto-mining discussions in the de-facto legislature, although the confrontation did begin during the discussion on the de facto law.
Abkhazia’s de facto parliament has moved to advance restrictions to ban cryptocurrency mining and amend the so-called Criminal Code to criminalize cryptocurrency mining. The measure aims to address severe energy shortages caused by mining activities, which are putting excessive pressure on the region’s power grids.
Abkhazia has had a ban on cryptocurrency mining since 2018, complemented by a temporary ban on the import of mining equipment since 2020. Administrative fines and confiscation of equipment have been used as enforcement tools. The new draft of the so-called law extends these restrictions, prohibiting the mining, trading, use, and advertising of cryptocurrencies, as well as the import of mining equipment, in order to ensure the rational use of the region’s limited energy resources.
De facto parliament speaker Lasha Ashuba underscored the necessity of such extraordinary measures, citing the ongoing electricity crisis as a matter of public interest. He emphasized that earlier efforts to curb mining through tightened regulations had proven ineffective, prompting the development of stricter norms.
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