Russia has opened a criminal case against three Abkhaz opposition figures—Kan Kvarchia, Eshsou Kakalia, and Khyn Dumaa—and they have been placed on the federal wanted list. The Abkhaz politicians are accused of grand larceny, involving 1,975,000 rubles, against three Russian citizens, aged 25, 42, and 45. These Russian citizens are reportedly political strategists who were in Sukhumi before the municipal elections.

The Investigative Department of the Sochi City Police Department stated that the crime was committed in Abkhazia "with the threat of violence dangerous to life and health, by a group of individuals acting in concert, using an object used as a weapon." Russia notified the authorities of the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia of the wanted list "in accordance with agreements regulating legal assistance in criminal cases through interstate law enforcement channels." These individuals will subsequently be placed on the international wanted list through Interpol, according to a statement from the Sochi Department of Internal Affairs.

As a reminder, in early November, before the municipal elections in Abkhazia, a scandal erupted involving the work of Russian political strategists. Several pro-government Telegram channels then reported that opposition members, including MP Kan Kvarchia, had carried out an "armed attack on the campaign headquarters of a candidate for the Sukhumi City Council." An audio recording, allegedly made in the office, was also published, in which threats and complaints from the opposition members were heard, including the questions, "Who sent you?" and "Who hired you?" It was claimed that the Russians had been beaten. The opposition members themselves claimed they had merely stopped the illegal activities of political strategists. Kvarchia is a member of the Abkhaz parliament. Russia had previously stripped him and another opposition member, Levan Mikaa, of their citizenship. They were accused of actions that "contributed to the destabilization of the socio-political situation" in Abkhazia, "leading to escalating tensions near the state border of the Russian Federation." On December 19, 2024, Kvarchia was wounded in a shooting in the parliament building carried out by his colleague Adgur Kharazia, who killed another member of parliament, Vakhtang Golandzia.