In Makhachkala, vandals desecrated a poster depicting Imam Shamil, the leader of the North Caucasus national liberation resistance in the 19th century. State Duma deputy from Dagestan, Saigidpasha Umakhanov, reported thousands of complaints from outraged residents and demanded that law enforcement hold the perpetrators accountable.

According to media reports, an unknown person, after tearing down the poster, shouted that the image of the imam is "haram" and threw stones at the bas-relief. Umakhanov emphasized that Imam Shamil is a symbol of courage and spiritual strength for the entire Caucasus and called for the protection of his memory.

"I strongly urge law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to promptly find and detain the perpetrators. They must receive the punishment they deserve. "We must protect our history and respect for our great ancestors from any manifestation of barbarity," he said.

Imam Shamil was a renowned leader of the highlanders during the Caucasian War with the Russian Empire. In Dagestan, he is a highly revered figure. His name is used in various contexts: it is borne by a battalion of Dagestani immigrants fighting on the side of Ukraine, as well as by a Russian unit that has been under the supervision of Adam Kadyrov, the son of the head of Chechnya, since 2023.