XENOPHOBIC CRIMES INCREASE POSSIBLE IN 2008 IN RUSSIA – HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

Russia & CIS General Newswire
January 30, 2008 Wednesday 10:58 AM MSK

Fourteen people have been killed in xenophobia-driven crimes in Russia
since the beginning of the year, Alexander Brod, director of the Moscow
Human Rights Bureau and a member of the Public Chamber, told Interfax.

"No fewer than 25 xenophobic attacks and fights, in which 14 people
were killed and no fewer than 20 were wounded, have occurred in
January," Brod said referring to results of an assessment by his
human rights organization.

The Moscow region, St. Petersburg and Togliatti are the "leaders"
in terms of the number of crimes, he said.

Four resident of Uzbekistan, two of Tajikistan, two of Kyrgyzstan,
two of Turkey, one of Dagestan, and one of Armenia were killed in
such attacks in 2008, Brod said.

"The number of crimes proves that the activity of radical nationalists
will remain high in 2008 and will probably exceed the sad record from
last year as to the number of killed and injured in xenophobic crimes,"
Brod said.

The Sova analytical center, another human rights organization,
highlighted its concerns about the growing number of xenophobic crimes
a day earlier.

Activists of the center presented the 2007 report, according to which
69 were killed and some 600 were injured in 39 Russian regions.