Bzhaniya, Aslan Georgievich

He was born on April 6, 1963 in the village of Tamysh , Ochamchira District, in a large family of teachers, where home education was built in the Abkhaz patriarchal spirit. In total, the family brought up five children. The genus Bzhania belongs to the Abzhui ethnographic group of Abkhazians ^[1] .

In 1980, he graduated from the Tamysh secondary school and entered the Frunze Polytechnic Institute as a civil engineer. In 1982 he transferred and in 1985 graduated from the Moscow Automobile and Road Institute .

From 1985 to 1986 he worked on distribution in the Capital Construction Directorate of the Ugransky timber industry enterprise of the Smolensk region . Under the engineering direction of Bzhania, in the village of Ugra , not far from the station, two apartment buildings were built for 36 families, which are still functioning properly.

From 1987 to 1989 he worked as an instructor, head of the department of the Ochamchira district Komsomol committee.

In 1991, he graduated from the Higher Courses of the KGB of the USSR and from 1991 to 1992 he worked in the KGB of Abkhazia.

During the period of the 1992-1993 Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia . Bzhania served in the state security organs of Abkhazia in the city of Gudauta . In December 1999, he was transferred to the reserve from the State Security Service of the Republic of Abkhazia. ^[2] .

From December 1999 to December 2008 he was engaged in commercial activities in the Russian Federation, at the expense of income from which, in particular, the Bzhaniya family acquired a number of real estate in Moscow, Sochi and Sukhum, as well as motor transport. After transferring to the civil service, he transferred his business to his son and nephews.

In 1999 he graduated from the Academy of National Economy under the Government of the Russian Federation .

In January 2009, he was appointed Economic Advisor to the Embassy of Abkhazia in Russia .

On February 24, 2010, by the decree of the President of Abkhazia, he was appointed Chairman of the State Security Service of the Republic of Abkhazia , two major generals seconded from the FSB of the Russian Federation - Vladimir Cherdantsev and Andrei Yuminov ^{[3] [4] were} appointed as deputies.

In April 2012, after the assassination attempt on the President of Abkhazia, Bzhaniya presented the report of the investigation process with the participation of the Russian special services ^{[5] [6] to the} director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation A. Bortnikov in Moscow.

In May 2014, Abkhaz President A. Ankvab was promoted to the rank of “Major General” ^[7] .

On May 28, 2014, the day after the start of political rallies of the opposition, which grew into riots and the seizure of state institutions, Bzhania, together with Defense Minister M. Kishmariya , Interior Minister O. Khetsia, and other security officials made a statement in support of the “lawfully elected president of the country” ^[8] .

From April 9, 2015 - President of the APRA Socio-Economic and Political Research Foundation.

From July 2015 - Chairman of the Bloc of the opposition forces of the Republic of Abkhazia.

March 26, 2017 elected as a deputy of the VI convocation (2017-2022) of the National Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia .

Attitudes to riots

Bzhania condemned the unrest in Sukhum and the seizure of the presidential residence on May 27–31, 2014 and linked the resignation of President Ankvab primarily with his desire to prevent bloodshed and fratricidal conflict. He warned that participation in the storming of government bodies has nothing to do with the interests of the Abkhaz society as a whole, and the actions of the instigators of the riots can be qualified as a crime in accordance with the RA Criminal Code: “ At the whim of a small opposition-minded part of society without justification and proven charges the head of state was removed from office . " Speaking in Moscow on July 31, 2014, Bzhania acknowledged his share of responsibility for the inadequate reaction of the special services to the May riots in Sukhum. In the future, the repetition of such a scenario, Bzhania believes, can destroy the fragile statehood of Abkhazia ^{[2] [9]} .

Presidential Election 2014 in Abkhazia

After the May riots in Sukhumi, the seizure of state buildings and the removal of President Ankvab, the Amtsakhara veterans party of the Patriotic War supported Bzhania’s candidacy in the new presidential election ^[10] .

The Central Election Commission of Abkhazia registered Bzhania as a candidate for the presidency of Abkhazia in the presidential elections of August 24, 2014 ^[11] . A 40-year-old director of the Pitsunda branch of the Sukhumi Physical-Technical Institute Astan Agrba, a participant in the Patriotic War of the people of Abkhazia, the father of three children - from the Bzyb Abkhazians, born in the village of Bzybta, ran for As vice-president with Aslan. The head of the election headquarters of Bzhania was ex-premier Leonid Lakerbaya . The ex-president of Abkhazia Alexander Ankvab ^{[12] [13]} declared support for Bzhania’s candidacy in the elections.

On July 25, Bzhania signed a Public Accord Treaty with three other presidential candidates - Leonid Dzyapshboy , Mirab Kishmariya and Raul Khadzhimba . The day before, together with rivals, he participated in a prayer service held at the Sukhumi Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos. After the moleben, the head of the Abkhaz Orthodox Church, Priest Vissarion (Apliaa), called on all four candidates belonging to the Orthodox faith to feel responsible for peace and stability in Abkhaz society, not to indulge in sinful meeting passions, but to do evangelical in all their affairs ^[14] .

July 29 - August 1, 2014 Bzhania was in Moscow, held consultations in the Presidential Administration, the Security Council of the Russian Federation, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, members of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, politicians and businessmen, met with representatives of the Russian public and the Abkhaz diaspora in the Forum Hall .

In the elections of August 24, 2014, Bzhania ranked second, gaining about 36 thousand votes, which amounted to 35, 91% of the number of voters. Raul Khadzhimba was elected President of Abkhazia with 50.5 thousand votes, which amounted to 50.6% ^[15] .

Immediately after the inauguration of the new president Khadzhimba on September 29, 2014, his political rival Bzhania was dismissed from all government posts ^[16] . As of 2015, he is engaged in politics and business in Russia and Abkhazia, he joined the ranks of the political opposition.

April 9, 2015 in Sukhum was presented by the APRA Socio-Economic and Political Research Foundation.

On May 22, 2015, Bzhania delivered a keynote speech at the fifth congress of Amtsakhara, the largest opposition political party in Abkhazia, where he positioned himself as the leader of the opposition. Subjected to harsh and mocking criticism of the authorities headed by Khadzhimba, condemning them for incompetence and helplessness of management, the lack of realistic development plans, forgotten promises, projecting, dependent moods in anticipation of the next tranche of budget assistance from Russia ^[17] .

According to his political views, Bzhania considers himself a follower of the three presidents of Abkhazia - Vladislav Ardzinba , Sergey Bagapsh and Alexander Ankvab . It tolerates all national minorities living in Abkhazia, including the Russian, Armenian and Georgian communities ^[18] .

Bzhania has a reputation in Abkhazia as a supporter of integration with Russia, while preserving the sovereignty of the republic. He advocates a constitutional order and strict observance of the rule of law, against the chaos of the "rally democracy". Bzhania proceeds from the fact that the help of Abkhazia from Russia is not infinite and one cannot always be supported by a mighty neighbor. Bzhaniya is aimed at systemic reforms of all sectors ^[19] , government stimulation of business and agriculture, strengthening budget discipline and counting and control bodies, lending business strictly on a return basis, the transition of the republic to self-sufficiency with its own production, countering corruption, reforming the health care and education systems , targeted assistance to people with disabilities and their families, as well as to the fight against drug addiction, which is one of the pressing problems of Abkhazia.

Bzhania believes that there is an urgent need to grant citizens of the Russian Federation the right to acquire property in Abkhazia. Supporter of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service in a single law enforcement agency, strengthening its own security departments in order to prevent corruption in the ranks of the security forces, the introduction of bailiffs. Bzhania spoke in favor of lifting the qualification of the seat in the elections in Abkhazia for candidates residing in the Russian Federation and at the same time knowing the Abkhaz language.

Bzhania considers expedient the resumption of through railway communication through the territory of Abkhazia - to Georgia , Armenia and Iran , associating with this project the receipt of additional transit payments to the budget, the ability to use the international transport corridor, the creation of new jobs for the maintenance of the railway, state recognition by all countries transit participants, strengthening the arguments and negotiating positions in relations with transit consumers on various issues, including eopolitical ^[20] .

Bzhania supports the exploration and survey work of the Rosneft company in Abkhazia, as well as the projects of the RusHydro company in the republic.

If successful in the elections, Bzhania on behalf of the state planned to officially recognize the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Federation ^{[21] [22]} . The post of the Prime Minister of Abkhazia Bzhania promised the chairman of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Abkhazia Said Nikolaevich Tarkil. The government of Bzhania intended to form on a coalition basis, from representatives of different parties and social movements ^{[23] [24] [25]} .

On April 17, 2019, the leader of the Abkhaz opposition, Aslan Bzhania, was hospitalized due to a sharp deterioration in his health in a hospital in Sochi. Sochi doctors found it difficult to make an unequivocal diagnosis, and against the background of Aslan Bzhania’s deteriorating state of health, it was decided to urgently export him to Moscow. On April 18, Bzhania, in critical condition, was taken to the Department of Neurology of the Moscow City Clinical Hospital named after V.M. Buyanova. According to the Moscow doctors who provided first aid to Bzhania, the probability of a fatal outcome during the flight from Sochi to Moscow was "very high." On April 21, two security guards, Kiasow Darsalia and Levan Bzhania, were hospitalized with similar symptoms at the Moscow Sklifosovsky Research Institute of Emergency Care named after Sklifosovsky. ^[26] On May 17, at a press conference, the united opposition presented the results of analyzes conducted in Munich, Germany. According to test results, Bzhaniya was poisoned by heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum and cadmium. The document emphasized that the biological material for analysis was taken after two procedures for blood purification, plasmacytophoresis, this means that the indicators at the time of hospitalization were close to critical. ^[27] On June 6, 2019, Bzhania was taken by special board to Berlin, Germany, where he continued treatment in one of the metropolitan clinics. ^[28]

He has dual citizenship, a citizen of the Republic of Abkhazia , and a citizen of the Russian Federation .

• June 2014 - The Order of Friendship was awarded by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation for assistance in organizing the security of the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi (A. Bzhania was the head of the Interagency Headquarters for the coordination of security forces from the Republic of Abkhazia).