Russian parliament not to push Interior Ministry for probe into racial
assault
Ekho Moskvy radio, Moscow
23 Apr 04
The State Duma has declined to forward to the Russian Interior
Ministry a request for an inquiry into skinheads’ assault against an
Armenian boy in Kostroma, [independent] Duma MP Vladimir Ryzhkov has
said.
The skinheads splashed petrol over the 11-year-old boy and set him
alight in Kostroma on 22 April.
Ryzhkov said that his proposal that the Interior Ministry should
provide the State Duma with the information on this crime and the
steps taken to detain and punish the culprits, quote – due to
technicalities had been voted on and the majority of the Duma, which
is the One Russia faction, has voted down this procedural request –
unquote.
In doing so, the State Duma showed that it sees nothing terrible in
crimes of this sort and is unwilling to demand that the Interior
Ministry take emergency steps to this effect, Ryzhkov said.