The Georgian authorities and the International Fencing Federation must respond to the provocations directed against Russian athletes, said Dmitry Svishchev, a deputy of the Russian State Duma and First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, in response to the protest rally held in Tbilisi relating to the participation of Russian military athletes in the ongoing World Fencing Championships.

The Russian Duma representative claims that the demonstration "infringed on the rights of citizens of the Russian Federation."

"It is very important that the Georgian authorities respond to such an unprecedented provocation not only against Russian athletes, but also against the entire sports community, including the International Fencing Federation. If the host country of the World Championships assumes obligations to provide visas, security, including for our athletes, then they must take responsibility for what happened. This was a well-planned action and provocation, we do not know who ordered it, although I read that Ukrainian athletes were preparing a protest, a provocation. It seems that this is what happened," he said.

"17 Russian soldiers in Antsukhelidze's country" - a protest rally was held yesterday near the new Sports Palace under this slogan. According to the participants of the rally, they are protesting the participation of 25 Russian athletes in the ongoing World Fencing Championships in Georgia, of whom, according to them, 17 are military.