Ekho Moskvy news agency, Moscow,
16 Feb 2007

CONTRADICTORY REPORTS COME IN ABOUT ETHNIC CLASHES IN RUSSIAN TOWN

Moscow, 16 February: An attempt was made on the life of chieftain of
the Nizhnekubanskoye [department of the] Terskoye Cossack force
Andrey Khanin in the town of Novoaleksandrovsk, Stavropol Territory,
late on the night of 14 February, State Duma deputy from the Liberal
Democratic party Sergey Ivanov has told Ekho Moskvy radio.

Mass clashes have occurred between Russian residents with members of
the local Armenian and Georgian communities, he added.

Speaking to Ekho Moskvy, Stavropol Territory government fist deputy
chairman (acting) Anatoliy Voropayev confirmed that the attempt on
Khanin’s life had occurred and said an investigation was taking
place, but denied the existence of any clashes based on ethnic
hatred. He said "there was a rally of Cossacks who expressed their
indignation at the attempt on Khanin’s life", but "there were no
casualties". "There is no Kondopoga in Stavropol," he added.

The local law-enforcement agencies denied reports about ethnic
disturbances in the area. Acting spokesman of the Stavropol Territory
Interior Directorate Viktor Ignatyev said: "No ethnic clashes have
taken place in Novoaleksandrovsk". "The only crime registered
connected with the attempts on chieftain Khanin’s life has been
practically disclosed," he said. "A suspect, a resident of
Novoaleksandrovskiy District, born in 1983, has been detained. The
investigation will find out the motivation behind the crime," he
added. "Personal relationship is the main theory behind the crime at
the moment," Ignatyev said.