Resident of Kabardino-Balkaria holds picket in Moscow in support of Syrian Circassians

Today, another solo picket was held in front of the building of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) with a demand to the authorities of the Russian Federation to organize an emergency evacuation of Syrian Circassians to their historic homeland.

The action was held by Arthur Kumykov, a resident of Kabardino-Balkaria and a student of one of Russian universities. He was holding a poster with demands to the authorities to evacuate Syrian Circassians and handed out leaflets to passers-by.

The leaflets read that today Circassians, forced to live in 50 countries of the world are concerned about the fate of their 120,000 compatriots living in the territory of Syria, "involved in bloody battles between rebels and the troops loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad."

"Syria is home for a large Circassian Diaspora, formed after the expulsion of Circassians from the Caucasus after the Russian-Circassian War of 1763-1864. Today, our brothers are hostages of confrontation of other forces. Their villages are shelled and bombed by both parties. Unable to defend themselves, people are dying," said the leaflets.

Arthur Kumykov has added that the Circassian community "calls on the government of Russia to finally hear the appeals and evacuate compatriots from the warfare zone in Syria, as other civilized countries have done."