Chechen authorities report about many-thousand-strong rally against Koran burning down

According to official sources, about 60,000 people came to Grozny to attend a rally against burning down of the Koran by Zhuravel, a Volgograd citizen. They have confessed that they represent educational and budgetary institutions of the republic according to the attendance orders sent by authorities.

As reported, on May 23, many thousands believers, who gathered in the "Heart of Chechnya" Grozny mosque, condemned the burning of the Koran by Nikita Zhuravel from Volgograd. During the interrogation, he stated that he had done it at the direction of Ukrainian special services. It was decided to transfer the criminal case against Zhuravel to investigators in Chechnya, which caused lawyers' bewilderment. On May 23, a video appeared on the Internet in which the Volgograd citizen apologized to Muslims.

According to the "Kavkaz.Realii"* project, authorities gathered students and employees of budgetary organizations for the actions. Magomed Daudov, the Chairman of the Chechen Parliament, spoke at the rally and said that actions that offend believers' feelings are financed by special services of Ukraine and the West.

Several people said that they were forced to come to the rally – these were a student of an oil university and an employee of one of the ministries.

According to "Chechnya Today" outlet, Salakh Mezhiev, the Mufti of Chechnya, also spoke at the rally, treating the burning down of the Koran as a provocation aimed at kindling enmity among Russian nations and religious denominations.