Adgur Kharazia

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Adgur Kharaziya
Адгəыр Ҳаразиа ადგურ ხარაზია
Mayor of Sukhumi
In office 22 October 2014 – 21 October 2019
President	Raul Khajimba
Preceded by	Alias Labakhua
Succeeded by	Kan Kvarchia (acting)
In office 5 November 2004 – 16 February 2005
President	Vladislav Ardzinba
Preceded by	Leonid Lolua
Succeeded by	Astamur Adleiba

Adgur Rafet-ipa Kharaziya (Abkhaz: Адгəыр Рафеҭ-иԥа Ҳаразиа; Georgian: ადგურ ხარაზია) is an Abkhazian politician who served as the mayor of Sukhumi from 2014 to 2019.^[1] He was also the Minister of Agriculture of Abkhazia and the Vice Speaker of the People's Assembly.

In 2024, Kharazia, having been elected as an MP in 2022, opened fire in the parliament building, killing one MP, Vakhtang Golandzia and wounding another one.

Adgur Kharaziya was head of the Gulripshi District assembly before he was appointed acting mayor of Sukhumi by president Vladislav Ardzinba on 5 November 2004, in the heated aftermath of the 2004 presidential election, succeeding Leonid Lolua. During his first speech he called upon the two leading candidates, Sergei Bagapsh and Raul Khadjimba, to both withdraw.^[2]

On 16 February 2005, newly elected President Bagapsh replaced Kharaziya with Astamur Adleiba as mayor of Sukhumi.

In the 2007 parliamentary elections Adgur Kharaziya successfully stood as candidate in the Dranda precinct No. 24, winning a majority in the first round. He formed part of the opposition.^[3] During the assembly's first meeting after the election Kharaziya was nominated for the position of speaker by fellow MP Rita Lolua but lost to Nugzar Ashuba.^[4] On 27 July 2007, Kharaziya took part in a round table on free speech organised by journalists that called upon the government to end what it called the pursuit of independent and opposition media.^[5]

Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of Raul Khajimba, Kharaziya was again appointed acting mayor of Sukhumi on 22 October 2014.^[6] On 4 April 2015, he won the by-election to the city council in constituency no. 3 unopposed,^[7] and was confirmed as mayor on 4 May.^[8]

On 19 December 2024, fellow lawmaker Vakhtang Golandzia was killed and another one, Kan Kvarchia, was injured in a shooting inside the Abhkaz parliament building. Kharazia was identified as the suspect in the shooting.^[9]