Demands to demolish Narimanov monument stump Georgian authorities

If the monument to Nariman Narimanov in Marneuli is dismantled, this will lead to deterioration in relations with Azerbaijan, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

On July 21, the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia interrogated Sandro Bregvadze, the leader of the "Georgian March" Party, under the criminal case on inciting interethnic hatred and provoking the Georgian-Azerbaijani conflict. Investigators also asked about the recent protest action held by the "Georgian March" in Marneuli with a demand to demolish the monument to Nariman Narimanov.

"They asked questions about the demolition of the monument to Nariman Narimanov. I explained what the action was, that activists of the 'Georgian March' were in Tbilisi at that time and didn't know about the action," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has translated Mr Bregvadze's words spoken on air of the "Imedi" TV Company.

Dmitry Lortkipanidze, the head of the Georgian-Russian Public Centre named after Evgeny Primakov, who took part in the protest action on July 17, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that it was organized by Marneuli townspeople. According to Lortkipanidze, the action was of a precautionary nature, and he and a number of "Georgian March" activists simply supported the demands thereof.

The demolition of the monument to the Azerbaijani public figure may worsen the Georgian-Azerbaijani relations, the political analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

Vakhtang Maisaya, Doctor of Military and Political Sciences, has drawn attention to the fact that Azerbaijan honours Narimanov, a poet and public figure.

"Georgian authorities were wary of demolishing this monument – local ethnic Azerbaijanis have a touching attitude towards Narimanov. Authorities face a dilemma: to observe the law or relations with Azerbaijan," the analyst said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 22, 2020 at 04:12 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.