Moscow, which heavily backs the de facto republic, called the events an “internal affair” of Abkhazia and appealed for talks between the government and opposition.
Georgia said the plan would be illegal, while Abkhazian authorities tried to pre-empt criticism that it would deepen the territory’s dependence on Russia.
The news of Giorgi Lukava's release took many in Abkhazia by surprise, and some criticized the idea that it was an “act of goodwill,” as the authorities in Sukhumi framed it.