NATIONALISTS ISSUE ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO CAUCASUS MIGRANTS
by Lina Panchenko, Daria Fedotova, Sergei Samoilov
Translated by Elena Leonova

Source: Moskovskii Komsomolets, June 26, 2007, pp. 1-2
Agency WPS
What the Papers Say Part A (Russia)
June 27, 2007 Wednesday

How can brawls in central Moscow be prevented?

More inter-ethnic violence likely in Moscow; All of Moscow is still
talking about the brawl between Russian nationalists and Caucasus
migrants at Kitai-Gorod on June 22. Meanwhile, those involved are
issuing further "showdown" challenges to each other and using the
Internet for their mud-slinging.

All of Moscow is still talking about the brawl between Russian
nationalists and Caucasus migrants at Kitai-Gorod on June 22.

Ordinary citizens fear the prospect of walking through central Moscow
and finding themselves in the middle of a brawl involving hundreds
of people. Meanwhile, those involved are issuing further "showdown"
challenges to each other and using the Internet for their mud-slinging.

Everyone detained after the June 22 events has been released – except
for one nationalist who stabbed an Armenian youth. Moscow police told
us that 42 people were arrested. They were charged with disturbing
the peace and released after paying fines.

Meanwhile, a leader of the Format 18 skinhead organization has
used a web page to issue an ultimatum, calling on skinheads and
national-socialists to rally in Moscow in the near future. There have
also been calls for another fight at the same Kitai-Gorod location.

What’s happening online is shocking: the Russian-language Internet
is full of calls to "beat up the aliens."

Can anyone be prosecuted for inciting extremism online? Lawyer Ruslan
Kobelev says this is entirely feasible: "There’s Article 280 of the
Criminal Code, covering public calls for extremist activity." But
the second part of this article is inapplicable, since LiveJournal
doesn’t fit its definition of "media." All the same, if it’s an open
call for action – "let’s get together" or something like that – then
the first part of Article 280 could be applied, and those responsible
would face up to three years in prison.

There’s also Article 282: inciting hatred or enmity and insulting
human dignity. Sometimes, even a remark like "too many of them around
here" could provide sufficient grounds for prosecution – since the
implications might insult the dignity of a certain group of people.

But can you recall many high-profile prosecutions on these charges?

* * *

Caucasus migrants are still frequenting Manezh Square; we spoke to
some of them yesterday.

The youths rushed to explain the conflict: "The skinheads wanted
to stop us dancing the lezginka. We do understand that we’re guests
here. But if our people are being beaten up, we won’t stand for it.

Come back in a few days’ time, if you like – the skinheads have
challenged us to another showdown."

For obvious reasons, we’re not publishing the exact date – but a
certain date was named.

Law enforcement agencies were aware of plans for the June 22 brawl,
but no action was taken until it actually happened. Why?

In the lead-up to the Russian March rally last year, almost all
radical right-wing organizations were "decapitated" – their leaders
were summoned to police stations and detained there until the rally
was over. But this system wasn’t applied to the June 22 brawl. The
nationalists are always bragging that they have many supporters
among special assignment commandos and police officers; they claim
to receive warnings of impending searches and other police operations.

If the police fail to take any "preventive measures" ahead of the next
"showdowns," we should be prepared for a worst-case outcome.