Authorities of Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Chechnya are not planning to introduce a ban on alcohol sales, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov told TASS on Dec. 1.
"We won’t ban anyone from sales, we have a law for that. We may only give an advice. Drunk drivers - that’s an issue, we spoke about this earlier, and we say now - that’s worse than terrorists," Kadyrov said.
The Chechen head said he asked religious leaders not to take part in the funeral of drunk drivers. "If drunk drivers cause road accidents, die themselves or kill persons, religious leaders won’t take part in their funeral and deal with reconciliation issues. The society has to understand that these persons deliberately committed a crime, a terrorist act," he stressed.
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The head of the department of economy, trade and consumer market at Chechnya’s Economic Development Ministry, Magomed Mustafinov, earlier told TASS that most entrepreneurs in the republic chose to give up their alcohol licenses after a drunk driving accident in Grozny in late November.
The republic’s Parliament Speaker Magomed Daudov also called on the local businesses to stop selling alcohol on the territory of Chechnya.
On Nov. 27, seven people, including two girls aged 10 and 14, died and two others were hospitalized after a drunk man drove his car into oncoming traffic in Grozny. Since early 2016, more than 350 road accidents have been recorded in Chechnya in which over 100 people were killed.
Source: TASS