Georgian lawyers refuse to work with Yandex because the service's maps show an independent Abkhazia
In Georgia, lawyers refused to serve the Russian internet services company Yandex, because they use maps that list Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent countries. Former Press Secretary of the Embassy of Georgia in Ukraine, Bacho Korchilava, wrote about this on his page in Facebook.
"The emergence of Yandex was immediately marked by a scandal, as the maps of Abkhazia and South Ossetia listed them as independent countries. Then, of course, all legal and governmental mechanisms started to work against the Russian company," he wrote.
After the scandal, the Russians fixed maps for IP addresses in Georgia and Ukraine, but the measure was insufficient and they were forced to ask for help of the largest Georgian law firm.
However, the company refused to provide services, explaining that the company would not assist people who do not recognize the territorial integrity of the country. They urged other colleagues to do likewise.
"Of course, we are always happy to provide legal assistance to all who need it, but not in this case. The fact is that the internationally recognized borders of Georgia were violated via the Yandex-provided map, forcing us to abandon the service of this company. We urge all Georgian colleagues to join the protest," the company announced.