Abkhazia's De Facto President Denounces 'Coup Attempt'

May 28, 2014

The de facto president of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia has described the opposition's takeover of the presidential administration building in the regional capital, Sukhumi, as "armed coup attempt." 

However, Aleksandr Ankvab, in an interview with Abhaz television broadcast early on May 28, said "there was still a chance to bring the situation back into the legal framework."

He said he remained in Abkhazia but did not reveal his location.

Ankvab also said that "a large number of people, some of them armed" had seized state television.

Protesters on May 27 stormed the building where Ankvab's office is located after a demonstration by several thousand people.

Ankvab agreed to the demonstrators' demand to dismiss the government, but the opposition demanded that he also step down.

Abkhazia and Georgia's other breakaway region of South Ossetia are recognized as independent states only by Russia and a handful of other nations.

Based on reporting by civil.ge and Interfax