Former Georgian Interior Ministry official Lasha Shergelashvili, who served as the head of the Armaments Department of the Special Operations Directorate, said on Formula TV that a banned substance was used to suppress a protest outside the Central Election Commission in 2020. When asked if he had any suspicions, he replied that he "knew for sure that it was used" as he was there at the time.
The Circassian people survived the most brutal genocide by the Russian Empire, which continues to this day. Its representatives support the people of Ukraine and call on their fellow countrymen not to participate in the war on the side of the Russian Federation. This is stated in the appeal of the leaders of a number of organizations of the Circassian diaspora abroad.
Chairman of the Council of United Circassia Kenan Kaplan, head of the Circassian Congress Kase Kik and head of the Free Circassia Association Ibrahim Yagan condemned the invasion of Ukraine, called for the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine.
In August 2023, members of the United Circassian Council called on the world community to recognize the genocide of the Circassian people by the Russian Empire in the 19th century. They announced this at an international conference in Istanbul. Members of the event also voiced their goal - the creation of a sovereign state of free Circassia.