03:23, 22 December 2013

Chechnya restricts sale of alcohol during New Year holidays, locals report

Restrictions have been imposed in the territory of Chechnya on the sale of alcoholic beverages during the New Year holidays. This was reported by local residents. The republic's authorities deny the introduction of any such measures.

"In Grozny, stores, where alcoholic beverages are sold, are closed. Other stores with alcoholic beverage departments refuse to sell vodka or wine. They say that it is prohibited to sell any alcoholic drinks during the New Year holidays," Salavdi T., a resident of the Chechen capital, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

On December 18, at the press conference held at the ITAR-TASS, when asked about the ban on sale of alcoholic beverages in the republic, the Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that he heard about it for the first time.

"All that we do in Chechnya does not contradict to the law. If I had my way of acting, I would have banned selling alcoholic beverages and even cigarettes, since all that brings only harm. However, I live in a constitutional state; our region is a subject of the Russian Federation; and we respect the law and will protect it," the leader of Chechnya said.

Author: Muslim Ibragimov, Alexander Ivanov

Source: CK correspondents