OREANDA-NEWS. The Georgian Interior Ministry has banned entry to 30 bikers through the Upper Lars checkpoint on the border with Russia on April 27. This was announced by the founder of Conflict Intelligence Team Ruslan Leviev on Twitter. The Georgian Interior Ministry confirmed the information to the First Channel of the country.

According to the newspaper EurAsia Daily, motorcyclists from Russia and the CIS countries were denied entry. They traveled in transit through Georgia to attend the annual biker gathering in Athens from May 1 to 2. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia reported that they could not pass because of the law “On the legal status of foreigners or stateless persons” (sub-paragraph 3), article 11). According to him, the border guards have the right not to allow border crossing if the foreigner refuses to inform himself and the purpose of the visit or provides false information. According to Leviev, the entry to the bikers was closed until May 10.

One of the motorcyclists told Deutsche Welle that they have been banned from entering Georgia every year since 2014. According to him, border guards fear provocations. He also said that one by one the bikers will start passing through the checkpoint after May 4, and now “they are wrapping everyone up”. DW notes that bikers are not associated with the "Night Wolves", which have repeatedly been banned from entering Europe.

In 2017, bikers, including those who were not members of any clubs, were not allowed because of the “Night Wolves” club’s planned “On Berlin” motorcycle race. As part of the race, motorcyclists were going to come to Tbilisi to mark May 9th. A co-organizer of the event from the Georgian side was the Russian-Georgian Youth Union, whose representatives stated that they were planning to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War with a performance, for which the Night Wolves, headed by leader Alexander Zaldostanov, were invited to participate in Tbilisi nicknamed the surgeon.