Anri Mikhail-ipa Jergenia (; 8 August 1941 – 5 January 2020) had been one of the leading politicians of the internationally unrecognised Republic of Abkhazia since it achieved de facto independence from Georgia. From June 2001 to November 2002 he was the republic's Prime Minister and for a time Jergenia looked to be the favourite to succeed Abkhazia's first president Vladislav Ardzinba. Early life and career Jergenia was born on 8 August 1941 in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. He graduated from the Moscow State University with a diploma in Law in 1963. During Soviet times, he held several offices within the administration of the Abkhazian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic: investigator at the Interior Ministry, chief investigator of the Prosecutor’s Office of Sukhumi, Public Court Chairman of Sukhumi and member of the Supreme Court of the Abkhazian ASSR. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, from 1992 to 2001, Jergenia served as the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Abkhazia, as which, amongst other things, he had to defend Abkhazia's treatment of its prisoners of war. On 14 April 1999 Jergenia was re-appointed by the People's Assembly to a second term as Prosecutor General only after several rounds of voting. From 1990 to 2002 Jergenia was the chief negotiator and designated representative at the Georgian-Abkhazian peace conference for President Vladislav Ardzinba. In this capacity, he personally handled most of the negotiations with Russia, Georgia, the United States and the United Nations. Prime minister Jergenia was appointed to the post of Prime Minister June 7, 2001. Due to President Ardzinba's deteriorating health, Jergenia could lead Abkhazia politically, unlike previous Prime Ministers, who had mainly concerned themselves with economic policy. Perhaps even more so than other Abkhazian politicians, he was pro-Russian, and vociferously opposed to reunification with Georgia. Jergenia openly discussed working towards associate membership of Russia and encouraged Abkhazians to take up Russian passports, which a large percentage of the population eventually did. He also pledged a military alliance with Eduard Kokoity, President of South Ossetia to discourage Georgia from attacking either entity. On 29 November 2002, Jergenia was fired by President Ardzinba, officially due to his failure to ensure fulfillment of budget targets and to prepare adequately for winter. However, for the first nine months of that year budget had been implemented fully and Jergenia's dismissal was widely seen as politically motivated. At the moment of his sacking, he had