SKINHEAD DETAINED FOR VANDALIZING ARMENIAN MUSEUM IN ROSTOV-ON-DON

Interfax News Agency
Russia & CIS General Newswire
August 9, 2006 Wednesday 12:24 PM MSK

Rostov-on-Don police have detained a member of a skinhead group on
suspicion of involvement in desecrating a local church housing a
museum of Armenian culture.

Unidentified vandals smashed the windows in the building and tried
to set it on fire on July 31, an Interior Ministry spokesman told
Interfax on Wednesday.

A few days ago, unknown persons drew slogans reading "Russia for
the Russians!" on the museum’s door and the pavement in front of the
building, and made other insulting inscriptions.

A criminal case was opened. An investigation confirmed the involvement
of a skinhead group in the incident.

One of the group’s members, who was previously tried for robberies,
attacks and the illegal possession of arms, has been detained and
admitted his involvement in the act of vandalism. A manhunt for the
other participants in the incident is under way, the spokesman said.