Georgia Pankisi Gorge residents protest over Russian car carrying portraits of late Chechen leader
Special forces of the Georgian interior ministry and law enforcement were mobilized in the Duisi and Birkiani villages in Pankisi Gorge, the region’s community radio WAY reported.
As Pankisi’s Muslims were celebrating the Islamic Breaking-of-the-Fast festival (ending the holy month of Ramadan) on 15 June, a car with Russian number plates and a huge portrait of Akhmad Kadyrov, the late father of the current Chechen leader, attached to it entered the Gorge. “Akhmad is cool!” the people in it chanted.
Outraged locals demanded that the portrait be removed, and a fight followed which only ended after riot police stepped in.
Meanwhile, the Georgian interior ministry released a statement saying riot troops had to be sent to Duisi to defuse a conflict between local residents.
