Director Tengiz Jopua on Abkhaz authorities

Abkhazia is facing a domestic political crisis, compounded by tensions in Abkhaz-Russian relations, with the government blaming the opposition and civil society for the turmoil. Pro-government anonymous Telegram channels are actively working to portray disfavored activists as internal enemies—foreign agents.

Abkhazian director and popular blogger Tengiz Jopua reflects on these tactics used by the authorities.

“It doesn’t matter how much you know. What matters is whether you can think. If you can’t think, you don’t exist.

They want to take away our ability to think, so they can control us according to their will. They want to strip us of our ability to question, forcing us to accept their lies as truth.

They need a submissive flock, obedient sheep silently trudging through their miserable lives toward the slaughterhouse. They have no other path for us.”

“They preach what they were taught in the Soviet system of mass control: fear, servility, flattery, hypocrisy, betrayal, informing on each other, and despotism. Slaves produce new slaves. That’s why they despise our youth—it dares to think freely.

These ‘slaves-turned-kings’ even base their threats to the people on their own fears: claiming that nothing will be provided, nothing will be sent, and we will be left without whatever we depend on.

Their rotten minds are filled with nothing but phobias of an overindulged digestive system.

We must rid ourselves of this old, decrepit nomenclature, clinging to our children’s throats with its ugly fingers, and start living like human beings.”