Russia declares two more Abkhazian journalists as ‘foreign agents’

Russia’s Ministry of Justice has updated its foreign agents registry, adding two more Abkhazian journalists—Nizpa Arshba, editor of the news agency Aiashara, and Izida Chania, founder of Nuzhnaia Gazeta, Russian media reports. The authorities accuse them of collaborating with Western organizations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Previously, Russia had already designated well-known Abkhazian journalist Inal Khashig as a foreign agent.

Moscow has been pressuring Sukhumi—both directly and indirectly—to adopt a “foreign agents” law in recent years. The prospect of passing such a law has sparked strong reactions from Abkhazia’s civil society.