Aslan Bzhania

President of Abkhazia

6 April 1963 Tamishi, Abkhazian ASSR, Georgian SSR, USSR

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Incumbent

Abkhaz politician Aslan Georgievich Bzhania (Abkhazian: Аслан Гьаргь-иҧа Бжьаниа , Georgian: ასლან გიორგის-ძე ბჟანია , Russian: Аслан Георгиевич Бжания ; born 6 April 1963) is an Abkhaz politician who has been the President of Abkhazia since 23 April 2020. He was the Head of the State Security Service, and one of the leaders of the opposition in Abkhazia. He was considered a favorite candidate in the scheduled July 2019 presidential election. However he was admitted to a hospital in Moscow in a severe condition in April 2019, with the presence of a large dose of mercury and aluminum in his blood, leading to allegations of poisoning on political grounds. As of May 2019, he remained in the clinic, his respiratory system and speech impaired. He ran in the subsequent 2020 presidential election, which he won.