The head of Dagestan Melikov called the rioters in Makhachkala scum

The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, at a meeting with the heads of the republic’s authorities, criticized the participants in the riots at Makhachkala airport on October 29. Sergei Melikov called them “animal-like cowards”, “scum” and “scoundrels”.

“You are not men! You are not men, you are not defenders of the Fatherland! You are pathetic, bestial cowards, animals, because you have no courage. Because you are only brave in the crowd, because you push women forward, because you hide in this crowd and don’t show your faces. Who you are? What kind of men are you, what kind of Caucasians are you? What kind of Dagestanis are you?” – he said (quote from “RIA News”).

Sergei Melikov noted that the participants in the riots “support the enemies of Russia,” those who, in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, “oppose in battle the real heroes of Dagestan.” According to him, the participants in the pogrom at the airport need to be isolated from society and “no leniency should be given to them” so that they do not “forget what they are guilty of.”

On October 29, crowds of people gathered at Makhachkala airport to prevent Israeli citizens from Tel Aviv arriving in the country. Protesters broke into the international terminal building and then ran onto the runway.

The Regional Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for mass riots. The Republic’s Ministry of Health reported that 20 people were injured as a result. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Dagestan has identified more than 150 riot participants. According to the latest data from the Investigative Committee, 83 people were detained, seven were arrested. President Vladimir Putin statedthat the events in Makhachkala were “inspired through social networks by Western intelligence services” with the participation of Ukraine.

Read more about what happened in the material “We trust the authorities and rely on them”.