Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava continued to publicly defend his political views in social media posts, for which he was accused of treason in Abkhazia in 2022 and began receiving threats.
As reported by “Caucasian Knot”, on August 31, the ex-wife of Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava rejected the version of his death from an overdose. She stated that Buava did not use drugs and called for waiting for the official results of the forensic examination.
Daur Buava moved to Georgia in 2021. In June 2022, the State Security Service of Abkhazia initiated a criminal case against him on suspicion of treason. Buava published videos on TikTok promoting the idea of Abkhazia joining Georgia as an autonomous republic with a legal status enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, reported “Sputnik Abkhazia”.
In late July and August, Buava continued to post videos on his Facebook page about the relations between Abkhazia and Georgia and Russia, the international status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the actions of the Abkhaz leadership. For analysis, a correspondent from “Caucasian Knot” selected videos and publications about Nauru’s withdrawal of recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
On July 29, Buava dedicated a video to the decision of the Republic of Nauru to refuse recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He claimed that it caused panic in the Abkhaz leadership, and referred to South Ossetia as Samachablo or the Tskhinvali region. He returned to this topic on August 13, and in his penultimate publication on August 21, he stated that Nauru’s decision indicates a weakening of Russian influence.
“The situation at the international level is changing. Countries that were under the influence of Russian stereotypes are gradually beginning to see clearly,” he stated, urging Abkhazia and South Ossetia to think about what will happen if Russia loses control. The video was published on August 21.
In another video on July 29, Buava touched on Russian-Abkhaz relations, reposting a video with comments from Russian tourists about how the residents of Abkhazia would be left without means if they drove away Russian vacationers. Buava titled the video “Russian tourists began to openly threaten Abkhazians.” In another post on the same day, he urged Abkhazians and Ossetians to consider what would happen if Russia stopped financing Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Using an old video with Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Buava claimed that Russia seeks to subjugate Abkhazians and use South Ossetia as a military base, and criticized the lack of response to such statements in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Alongside political topics, Buava addressed incidents in Abkhazia itself. In a post from June 29, he spoke about the beating of a girl. According to him, the conflict may have been caused by a man, but regardless of the circumstances, such brutality is unacceptable. Buava called on law enforcement to conduct an objective investigation and hold those responsible accountable.
On August 6, Buava stated that the absence of strikes by Ukrainian drones on Abkhazia is related to Ukraine’s respect for Georgia’s territorial integrity. According to him, it is Tbilisi’s peaceful course that contributes to the absence of hostilities in Abkhazia.
According to the State Security Service, the videos published by Daur Buava on TikTok contained direct and hidden calls detrimental to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, state security, and defense capability of Abkhazia. The blogger promoted the idea of Abkhazia joining Georgia as an autonomous republic and the positive aspects of such a decision, as stated in a message published on June 3, 2022, on the website of the State Security Service of Abkhazia.
Several videos on August 12 and 13 were dedicated by Buava to the supply of gasoline from Georgia to Abkhazia. He contrasted Georgia’s actions with those of Badra Gunba, whom he called the “so-called president of Abkhazia,” and stated that Georgia is helping the Abkhaz people.
In another video, Buava urged residents to evaluate who “creates problems for them” and who “extends a helping hand.” He also published confirmations of supplies and after Gunba’s statement about seeking alternative suppliers by sea, he reiterated that Georgia is helping in Abkhazia’s difficult situation. At the same time, Buava accused the Abkhaz leadership of deceiving the residents and suggested that officials might try to profit from gasoline supplies.
On August 13, Buava separately addressed his haters. “Haters, I love you. Without you, it would even be boring. You are my main media – you talk about me more than I do myself,” he stated. During the same period, the blogger published a video with a Russian woman asking to “deport her from Georgia” to Russia.
On August 17, Buava reposted a publication from a Ukrainian media outlet stating that Georgia refused to restore diplomatic relations with Russia until the issue of returning Abkhazia and South Ossetia is resolved.
On August 18, Buava spoke about the opportunity for applicants from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region to enroll in Georgian universities in 2026 without taking the unified national exams. He emphasized that their education would be funded by the Georgian government.
In his last publication on August 21, Buava accused a resident of Turkey and ethnic Abkhaz Elchin Ardzinba of spreading what he considered false information about persecution by Georgians, while criticizing the Abkhaz leadership for its silence regarding Abkhazians in Russian prisons.
Thus, in Buava’s publications from late July and August, three main political themes were highlighted: the representation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as territories dependent on Russia, sharp criticism of Russia and some Russian tourists, and a positive portrayal of Georgia as a country capable of supporting the residents of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, noted the correspondent of “Caucasian Knot”.
After Buava’s death, his friends reported that he systematically received threats. According to them, the most aggressive reactions came from people who did not share his views on the reconciliation of Abkhazians and Georgians; one of his friends called these threats internet threats. Lawyer Natia Mezvrishvili later stated that the threats related to Buava’s activities were both verbal and physical. The specific content of the threats in these messages was not disclosed.
It should be noted that on August 28, it became known that Buava’s body was found in a rented apartment in Tbilisi. An investigation was initiated under the article “Driving to suicide.”
On August 30, a lawyer expressed doubt about the police’s version of the blogger’s death. The defense announced its intention to conduct an alternative examination. Two suspects were also detained in the case for drug possession, and Buava’s acquaintance was charged with leaving a person in danger.
