The separatists, who are now outraged that Russia, represented by the Kremlin leadership, simply occupies a piece of Abkhazia near Pitsunda for summer residences, and argue about "legality" of this, somehow do not remember how "heroes" marauders seized Sukhumi and simply wrote "Occupied" on the doors of houses and flats of Georgians they liked. Often, before doing so they killed the owners of the "trophy" homes.

Did they not realize then that all over Abkhazia, including Pitsunda, they also wrote "Occupied"? It is occupied by Russia. After all, it was Russia that ensured the victory of the separatists, including its regular army, and in fact Russia seized Georgian Abkhazia. They simply did the "rough work" of fratricide and ethnic cleansing. And executioners are always despised. Executors of their brothers, who got their hands on their property, are despised twice.

Russia, by the way, has not yet killed Abkhazians, as their "heroes" and their "war brothers", who today do not want to give up Pitsunda, have killed their Georgian neighbours. Though maybe... Quite Russian-speaking or even ethnic Russian residents of Bucha, Severodonetsk, Mariupol and other Ukrainian cities can confirm this to the Sukhumi separatists.

For many years the separatists themselves received "payment" from the occupants for their work as executioners and traitors. And at that time when the Russian hinterland itself was sitting without money, cash flows were flowing to the separatist Abkhazia on a regular basis and the money was stolen by the separatist "elite". Did the separatists really think that such money was paid to them "just for fun"? And that they would continue to pay them all the time without demanding anything in return?

Now the separatists were made to understand that the Kremlin leadership likes a dacha in Pitsunda and it is taking Pitsunda for itself. And how to explain to Abkhazian population "the need to be grateful to Russia" and "legally formalize" is a problem of the separatist puppets. After all, the Kremlin maintains them and pays a lot of money for their loyalty.  If they fail, these puppets will simply be removed, and either other puppets will be appointed. Or simply annex Abkhazia without further ado.

The agreement on the transfer of the territory was signed by the separatist authorities with Moscow on January 19, 2022 but the public of Abkhazia found out only on July 11th.  Under this agreement the separatist authorities transferred part of the 184-hectare reserve and the park which includes relic pine forest to the Russian Federation. Experts believe that the agreement was made public out of necessity, since the document must be ratified by the separatist "parliament" for "legitimization". At the same time, the relevant committee of the "parliament" had already voted "in favour", which caused even greater public discontent.

It was the veterans of the separatist war who were particularly outraged by the "illegality" of the transfer. It's strange, even if we assume that those veterans that shed blood during the fratricidal war were not tainted with looting (and there were such cases), why were they not outraged when in 1992-1993 they saw flats and houses of killed and expelled Georgians having "occupied" written on them? And were not outraged when looters and their "combat brothers" loaded Kamaz trucks with the looted property from Georgian houses.  It was "legal" then and not now?

Did they consider it a "legitimate trophy" then? But the separatists have forgotten that it was the same Russian Federation that ensured their "victory" and an opportunity to be robbed, which turns out just "to take its share". The separatists had no idea that in the end the Kremlin's "trophy" was the entire Abkhazia.

One way or another, today the separatist leadership in Sukhumi has to wriggle to justify "legality" of transfer of lands to Russia and at the same time to calm down Abkhazian society. Abkhazian "president" Aslan Bzhania stressed that they were preparing a full-fledged residence in Pitsunda for "big friend of Abkhazia" Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also noted that the famous in Soviet times dacha needs renovation.

But at the same time none of the separatists are specifically unwilling to take responsibility for transferring Pitsunda. They remembered that as an "independent state" they have a certain "Constitutional Court". It was decided to make it "ultimately responsible". In order to then refer to the "constitutional court" to make a decision of the puppet "parliament" on the transfer of Pitsunda.

A corresponding request for compliance of the agreement on the cession of Pitsunda of January 19, 2022 with the separatist "constitution" was sent to the so-called "constitutional court" of the self-proclaimed "republic of Abkhazia". But the so-called "judges" of the so-called "constitutional court", unlike members of the separatist "parliament" and the separatist "government", pretending their "constitutionality" receive relatively small salary and do not participate in writing off the Russian aid. And they simply do not want to take the entire negative of the transfer of Pitsunda upon themselves. 

In the end, the "constitutional court" did not accept the Abkhaz parliament's request for verification and "kicked back". No explanation was given by the "constitutional court" as to what exactly the discrepancy was. This "court" simply returned the submitted materials to the "parliament" on the grounds that the parliamentary request "does not meet the requirements of constitutional jurisdiction.

It is clear that sooner or later the Kremlin will force the separatists to "formalize" transfer of Pitsunda, no matter how much the population of Abkhazia resents "illegality" of this act. And perhaps even formalities will not be needed soon if a decision is made to "annex" Abkhazia.

All the more that a similar annexation is already being prepared in respect of the Russian-occupied Kherson and part of the Zaporozhye region of Ukraine. And those dissatisfied with such annexation will simply be destroyed or deported, as it happens with Ukrainians unhappy with the occupation. And even the indignation of the international community can do nothing to help those who are in full power of the occupiers.

Abkhazians are under the same total power of the Russian Federation, occupying Abkhazia. So far, the Kremlin flirts with them, since it is thinking to use the Abkhazian population as "cannon fodder" in the same Ukraine, having previously "voluntarily and officially" received Abkhazian land from the separatist regime.  But if the Kremlin fails to do it "voluntarily" it will do it "badly", as it already happened to the Abkhazian people during the Mukhajirstvo.   Only de-occupation and reconciliation with a brotherly Georgian people will allow Abkhazians to realize a right to live freely and peacefully in their native land.

Varden Tsulukidze