From denied entry to permits pending eternally, access to de facto states is often a problem for Western scholars. But for academics living in those same territories, the barriers run in the opposite direction: access to international conferences or journals is just as difficult.

When Gaëlle Le Pavic, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, found that she could not enter Abkhazia, she refused to abandon her project. Instead, she teamed up with the Abkhaz scholar Said Gezerdava. Their cooperation questions who can speak about de facto states, and who remains silent. ‘We co-write, co-research, and also co-publish.’

First, Gaëlle’s plans to visit Abkhazia were cut short by the Covid-19 Pandemic. But when she applied to enter the region after the pandemic, she was unlucky again. ‘While I was never formally denied entry, my new request remained pending, eternally.’ This is a problem shared by many Western researchers who have tried to enter Abkhazia in recent years, as the region has increasingly closed itself off. ‘Data collection can be considered sensitive, as it can shed light on the shortcomings of the authorities who have tightened access to Abkhazia.’ Faced with these logistical challenges, Gaëlle had to find alternative ways to conduct her research on the functioning of civil society groups in Abkhazia.

Abkhazia is a de facto state in the South Caucasus. The territory is recognized by only a handful of countries, most notably Russia. While the rest of the world considers the region to be part of Georgia, Moscow recognised Abkhazia’s independence in 2008 and has gained significant influence over its politics since then. Abkhazia’s closeness to Russia has led to increased isolation from many Western countries, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This further reduced the territory’s access to essential international cooperation, weakening the authorities’ capacity to govern.

Local Abkhaz civil society organisations, or NGOs, have stepped in to provide essential social services that the de facto authorities fail to deliver, such as health care and legal assistance. In their research, Le Pavic and Gezerdava focused on the relationship between these organisations and the de facto Abkhaz government, which must balance the interests of NGOs with the growing influence of Moscow.

Gaëlle: ‘We focused on the relationship these civil society organizations have with the Abkhaz authorities. Because, even though these groups are of vital importance, we knew very little about the way they manage to function in Abkhazia.’

Said: ‘We have found that civil society organizations have actually played a very important role in politics and policymaking in Abkhazia. NGOs have been able to get a lot of things on the political agenda, like the right to access to information, gender equality, and to democratize and make the electoral process in Abkhazia transparent. All these laws proposed by civil society organizations were adopted by parliament.’

Gaëlle: ‘And this is really important to note, because it contradicts the discourse of Abkhazia, as a “Russian occupied territory”, thus our research challenges this rhetoric. Because we see a lot of activity of grassroots civil society groups in Abkhazia, 28 out of the 32 surveyed organizations are actually in contact with the Abkhaz authorities. It is remarkable to see that they manage to influence important policies and limit Russian interference in Abkhazia.’

Said and Gaëlle hope to soon publish their results in an article, but how did they experience their academic cooperation over the de facto border? We spoke with them over a shaky Zoom connection.

Gaëlle, how did you manage to conduct this research without ever entering Abkhazia?
Gaëlle: ‘I have indeed not been able to enter Abkhazia, and that is a big limitation, of course. It means I’m missing out on a lot of informal conversations, and I have not seen the research area with my own eyes. But still, I always encourage researchers to take on the challenge of off-site research, as this is called.’

Initially, Gaelle tried to meet with representatives from Abkhazian civil society on the other side of the de facto border with Georgia, but this proved to be no solution. ‘I tried to arrange meetings with Abkhazians in the Samegrelo region, the closest part to Abkhazia on the Georgian-controlled territory. However, I quickly understood that despite being physically so close, we were actually both confined to one side of the contested border, since Abkhaz crossing to Georgia faced increasing scrutiny from their authorities and social pressure from their peers, deterring many from crossing to Georgia.’

Again, Gaëlle had to look for new ways of gathering data in Abkhazia. She started undertaking ‘online ethnography’, in which she immersed herself fully in Abkhaz affairs, through the internet. ‘I started reading a lot of Abkhaz media and reaching out to journalists and researchers. I try to stay in touch as much as I can, I don’t just show up to collect data and then disappear again. In a way, that is a benefit of this off-site research, it is a lot cheaper, so I can “stay” way longer.’

In addition to her online research, Gaëlle teamed up with Said, who lives and works in Abkhazia. And then Gaëlle got in touch with you, Said. What has your experience been like?
Said: ‘It was quite special, I have never had such an opportunity before. This is my first experience in European academia.’

Said Gezerdava is an Abkhaz scholar with experience in Russian-language academia. Additionally, he works in an Abkhaz civil society organisation, providing legal support to people in need. ‘It has been a great process, I expected to just be interviewed by Gaëlle about my experiences in Abkhazia, but to actually be a full part of the entire research process has just been amazing. I don’t just collect data, but also analyze it together with Gaëlle.’

Gaëlle: ‘I’m really grateful for this cooperation with Said, and I’m interested in such sustained contact. I don’t like to just mention someone in a footnote and move on. As he said, Said is not just collecting data, we co-write, co-research, and also co-publish. We really do this project together. And it is so important to have someone on board who actually fully understands the local context, and the implications of life in a place like Abkhazia.’

Is this something you miss in research on de facto states?
Gaëlle: ‘Generally, yes. I think it applies to other places framed as de facto states too. I’ve personally seen it again and again in the context of Abkhazia. I have travelled to many international conferences, but have never seen Abkhaz scholars on the stage giving such a presentation. That has to do with the exclusivity of the academic world. Western scholars and institutions are not always willing to overcome obstacles like language or travel restrictions. Or, they don’t take the effort to really reflect on knowledge production.’

This leads to an exclusion of Abkhaz scholars in Western academia, according to Gaëlle. ‘We have to start thinking about who can produce knowledge on places that are regarded as de facto states. Who is able to speak and who remains silent? Through cooperation, we can achieve a lot more. And it really improves the research quality.’

While Gaëlle works from Belgium, Said’s research in Abkhazia is likely more risky.

How do you feel about that, Said? Can you conduct your research freely in Abkhazia without compromising your safety?
Said: ‘What is troublesome here is my open critique of the current directions of Russian-Abkhaz relations. I would say that in our society I am somewhat known as a person who openly voices his views on influence in Abkhazia’s internal affairs. And I am aware that, in the long run, this may not be good for my personal safety. But this is simply how I operate.’

While he is aware of the risks, Said has not yet been confronted with severe restrictions in his work.
Gaëlle: ‘I must say I think Said is really brave, that shows in the way we work together. I’m working from Belgium, so for me it is really easy to stay safe in that regard.’

Under increasing Russian influence, the relationship between civil society organisations and the Abkhaz government has significantly deteriorated. Speaking out publicly against Moscow’s influence is not always safe in Abkhazia.

Said: ‘Of course, there are some limitations when it comes to doing independent research here. And I think that might lead to a certain level of self-censorship, I think that’s unavoidable.’

And how do you go about researching your own sector? You are a researcher, but also working in an NGO. Can you remain objective?
Said: ‘That is a very good question, because I often see for myself how Abkhaz civil society has a tendency to either overestimate or underestimate their achievements. But I’m really strict in this regard, and we have anchored that in our methodological framework. I want to actually see the strengths and weaknesses of my sector, since we need to know that to survive.’

Gaëlle: ‘I do not believe in “neutral” research. Who we are as researchers always plays a role in our work. Our personal background facilitates or prevents certain access to respondents. We have always been fully open about our standpoint, from where we are speaking. These backgrounds do not make our research “biased”, but they do call for reflexivity. Impartial research does not exist.’

Gaelle and her colleagues at Ghent University are excited about the cooperation with Said and are looking to expand it. ‘We would like to organize a workshop with Said and continue the research process. And of course, I would love to meet with him in real life one day. Can you believe that we never actually met?’

*The next interview in this new series will be with the photographers Lavinia Parlementi and Manfredi Pantanella. In their book The Lines We Draw, they wonder whether identity depends on recognition.

The first interview in this series, with political scientist Ramesh Ganohariti about de facto states in the current world order, sports and passport inequality can be read here.*

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