Georgian elders call for help to prevent teenagers from joining IS
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 7 April 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Georgian elders call for help to prevent teenagers from joining IS, 7 April 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/552f9dd515.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
April 07, 2015
Elders in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge have called on the government to help them prevent teenagers from joining the Islamist State (IS) militant group.
The Pankisi Gorge's Council of Elders made the appeal April 6 amid reports that two more teenagers left the region to join the militants in Syria.
Relatives of 16-year-old Muslim Kushtanashvili and 18-year-old Ramzan Bagakashvili say the two, who were last seen in Pankisi on April 2, had sent word they were now in Turkey.
At least seven Georgian citizens from the Pankisi Gorge area have died while fighting for the IS group in Syria.
The Pankisi Gorge borders Russia's Chechnya region and is home to Muslims with ethnic ties to Chechens.
Pankisi Gorge native Tarkhan Batirashvili, known as Umar Al-Shishani, is a top IS commander in Syria.
With reporting by civil.ge and apsny.ge
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
