XENOPHOBIA GROWING IN RUSSIA – HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Interfax
Jan 30 2008
Russia

Moscow, 30 January: Since the beginning of the year, 14 people have
been killed in xenophobia-related attacks inRussia, Aleksandr Brod,
director of the Moscow Human Rights Bureau and a member of the Public
Chamber, told Interfaxtoday.

"At least 25 xenophobic attacks and fights have occurred in January,
in which 14 people were killed and at least20 injured," Brod said,
citing information monitored by the Moscow Human Rights Bureau.

The largest number of xenophobic crimes was committed in Moscow Region,
St. Petersburg and Tolyatti, he said.

In 2008, four residents of Uzbekistan, two of Tajikistan, two of
Kyrgyzstan, one of Turkey, one of Dagestan, and one of Armenia were
killed in attacks, Brod said.

"The number of attacks shows that radical nationalists will continue to
remain active in 2008 and will probably break last year’s sad record
in the number of those killed and injured in xenophobic crimes,"
Brod said.

Another human rights organization, the Sova analytical centre, which
specializes in the problems of xenophobia,yesterday expressed its
concern in view of growing xenophobia.

The centre’s activists presented the 2007 report, according to which
69 people were killed and about 600 injuredin xenophobic attacks in
39 Russian regions.

"We have noted that xenophobia-related violence is growing in Russia.

The number of race-hatred attacks hasincreased. There are more domestic
racial attacks, and they are committed not only by skinheads," Sova
deputydirector Galina Kozhevnikova told Interfax.

"Ultra right-wing organizations are getting more active. They are
trying to hold more and more mass actions and provoke disorder. In
addition, attacks are becoming more vicious," she said.

"Since the beginning of 2008, according to our monitoring figures,
11 people were killed in race-related attacksand 22 were injured. In
January, attacks happened in seven Russian regions," she said.