Otari Ionovich Arshba (; born 12 April 1955) is a Russian politician and member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from 2003. He is a member of the Supreme Council of the United Russia Party.
Arshba was born in Sukhumi in the Abkhaz ASSR. He is a former entrepreneur, top manager. Dollar multimillionaire. Retired FSB Colonel, a veteran of the security services.
According to a Gordonua.com article, Otari Arshba allegedly recruited Oleg Boyko () into the KGB and, while Boyko was at the computer center of Moscow State University from 1982 to 1986, Boyko excelled as an KGB agent and was subsequently sent on business trips to Great Britain and the United States.
In 1989–1991, Arshba stood at the origins of Abkhazian statehood in modern times, serving as an advisor and organizer of political activities in the Soviet parliament of the USSR people's deputy, the future fighter for the independence of the republic, the first president of Abkhazia Vladislav Ardzinba. In 1992–1993, during the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, Arshba was one of the main financial sponsors of strengthening the defense capability of Abkhazia.
Until April 1994, Arshba was a state security officer.
In 1998, Arshba began working at Evraz becoming the director of public relations, and then he successively held the positions of vice president and senior vice president. Until March 2004, he was the chairman of the board of directors of Evraz.
Arshba is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the West Siberian Metallurgical Plant () which merged into Evraz in July 2011 to become OJSC EVRAZ - Consolidated West Siberian Metallurgical Plant (ZSMK) ().
On 3 December 2004, Arshba, Leonid Lebedev, and others founded VAO R. Prim Company () which operated gas stations.
Since 7 December 2003, Arshba has been a member of United Russia from the Kemerovo region in the Duma's lower house and, as of July 2023, is the head of the ethics commission in the Duma's lower house.
Sanctions
In February 2022, the European Union put Arshba in its sanctions list because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The same year in March, he was also sanctioned by the UK.
Sanctioned by the UK government in 2022 in relation to Russo-Ukrainian War.
In September 2022, Arshba was added to United States sanctions lists for backing a law to criminalize the dissemination of "fake news" about the Russian army and the war in Ukraine.
Moreover, he is sanctioned by Switzerland, Australia, Japan, Ukraine, Canada, and New Zealand.
In March 2023, Ukrainian court sentenced Arshba to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property under the article on encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.
Personal
He owns an apartment in Georgia and his wife has real estate in Georgia, too.
References
Living people
People from Sukhumi
Russian people of Abkhazian descent
1955 births
United Russia politicians
21st-century Russian politicians
Russian individuals subject to United Kingdom sanctions
Fourth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Fifth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Sixth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Seventh convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Eighth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation)