(MENAFN) Sergey Melikov, the head of the southern Russian region of Dagestan, has declared that participants in the recent anti-Jewish riot will face legal consequences for their involvement in the illegal and violent protest. Melikov denounced the unrest as a "betrayal" and assured reporters that the situation at Makhachkala Airport, where protestors breached the facility and disrupted operations, is now under control.
During the riot, which took place late on Sunday, many of the protestors were seen brandishing Palestinian flags and attempting to board planes in search of Israeli passengers they believed were escaping the conflict with Hamas. Melikov emphasized that there will be "no forgiveness for anyone" responsible for the disturbance.
The regional head attributed the attempts to sow ethnic and religious division in Dagestan to external adversaries. He specifically pointed to Ukrainian nationalists as the propagators of calls to join the unlawful protests. Melikov revealed that reliable information indicates the Utro Dagestan (‘Dagestan Morning’) Telegram channel, which played a role in mobilizing the protestors, is administered and controlled from Ukrainian territory.
Former Russian State Duma deputy Ilya Ponomarev, who has been residing in Kiev since fleeing Russia in 2014, had previously acknowledged a connection to the Utro Dagestan channel. However, following the Makhachkala unrest, Ponomarev distanced himself from the outlet, stating that he had severed ties with it several months ago.
MENAFN31102023000045015687ID1107345955
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.