Hundreds of residents from local Muslim community gathered in the village of Duisi in Pankisi gorge on January 19 to protest against cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad published by French magazine Charlie Hebdo.
 
“This is an insult of every Muslim… such an insult is strictly punished,” said a middle-aged man, who participated in the rally in Pankisi gorge in northeastern Georgia, predominantly populated by the ethnic Chechen Kist community.

“Killing people and terrorism is not right. What we are asking for is to keep hands off our prophet,” said another participant of the rally.

Some were also saying that Charlie Hebdo itself was responsible, accusing it of provoking the attack.

In a statement on January 17 the Georgian Orthodox Church condemned publication of Prophet Muhammad cartoons. It also said that the state should provide for “limits to freedom of expression” in order to protect rights of believers against “insult of religious feelings.”