Solo picketer in Moscow calls on Circassians to civil activeness

On November 8, solo picket of Tamerlan Urusov in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Moscow with a demand "to stop extermination of Circassians in Syria" and to repatriate them to Russia lasted about four hours. The action was held "to encourage the Circassian community to civic engagement." This was told by Tamerlan Urusov to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I was standing with my poster in front of the MFA for about four hours, since I am anxious about what happens to my compatriots," 28-year-old Tamerlan Urusov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. And he continued: "I was approached by people, who were interested in my protest action, asked me questions and photographed me. Among them, there were some people, who wondered "who the Circassians were and where they lived."

Tamerlan thinks that his protest action can inflict troubles for him; however, he does not feel fear. "I am confused and a little bit disquiet; however, I fell no fear anymore since if I remain silent, the situation will only deteriorates," the picketer says.

According to him, the purpose of his protest action, apart from drawing attention to the fate of his compatriots, trapped in the combat zone in Syria, was to encourage the Circassian community to civic engagement.

"The public should actively fight for their rights and freedoms," Tamerlan Urusov believes. He continues: "Leaving of young people for the forest can also be treated as a protest activity; however, it is exaggerated and illegal. I wanted to show by my protest action that there are legitimate forms to express protest. In any case, even if my protest action does not succeed, I will not blame myself for the fact that I did not do anything."