08:30, 17 July 2019

Tbilisi picketers claim Georgia's safety for Russians

Russian residents residing in Georgia hold picket in Tbilisi, July 16, 2019. Photo by Inna Kukudzhanova for the Caucasian Knot

Russian citizens permanently residing in Georgia have held an action aimed to overturn the Russian authorities' statements that it is unsafe to travel to Georgia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that with the start of riots in Tbilisi, Russian President Vladimir Putin banned Russian airlines, as from July 8, to transport passengers to Georgia.

On June 20, the protest actions began in Tbilisi after Sergey Gavrilov, a member of the Russian State Duma, took the chair of the speaker of the Georgian parliament at a meeting of the parliamentary Orthodox assembly. That fact provoked dissatisfaction of some MPs who were encouraged by opposition supporters.

On July 16, six Russian citizens and a woman-citizen of Ukraine, who permanently live in Georgia, gathered in Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building.

"Propaganda in Russia tells about Russophobes, but they are not here. We are Russia citizens; and we live in Georgia; and it's important for us that our country knows the truth," Yegor Kuroptev, a journalist, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"It's safe in Georgia; and this entire information campaign unfolded in Russia is deceitful and untrue. The same is happening in relation to Ukraine," Valeria Belonok, another picketer, a citizen of Ukraine, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 16, 2019 at 07:01 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Inna Kukudzhanova

Source: CK correspondent