Цитаты
Человек должен заново открыть в своей душе глубочайший смысл ответственности перед миром, что означает ответственность перед чем-то высшим, чем сам человек. Вацлав Гавел |
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Aggressive xenophobia manifestations in January-April 2009
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 Attacks
During the period since January till April 2009 80 attacks and attempted attacks motivated by aggressive xenophobia were committed, and 24 dead and 75 wounded at least were their results. These data are incomplete: according to the head of Department of Ministry of home affairs (MVD) of RF on counteraction to extremism Yuri Kokov, during first quarter of this year 164 crimes based upon ethnicity and religion were recorded in Russia.
The attacks were recorded in Moscow and Moscow region (16 dead, 50 wounded), Nizhniy Novgorod (1 dear, 7 wounded), St. Petersburg and Leningrad region (1 dead, 8 wounded), Kaliningrad (1 dear, 2 wounded), Ingushetia, Ryazan, Novosibirsk region, Ulyanovsk, Kemerovo (1 dear each), Kabardino-Balkaria (4 wounded), Yaroslavl (2 wounded), Tambov, Syktyvkar, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd, Kostroma (1 wounded each). The following were attacked: Uzbeks (9 dead, 5 wounded), the Kirghiz (4 dead, 10 wounded), Tajiks (2 dead, 7 wounded), the Vietnamese (2 dead), natives of Africa (1 dead, 14 wounded), Azerbaijanis (1 dead, 7 wounded), the Chinese (1 dead, 2 wounded), Armenians (1 dead, 1 wounded), the Ingush, Chechens (1 dead each), Russians (4 wounded), Daghestanis (4 wounded), Jews (2 wounded), Kalmyks, Bangladeshis, Buryats, Kurds, Latin Americans (1 wounded each).
In April 10 attacks were recorded in Russia, and 3 dead and 9 wounded at least were their results. 6 attacks were recorded in Moscow and by one – in Nazran, Nizhniy Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl. The victims included: Tajiks (1 dead, 4 wounded at least), Uzbeks (1 dead, 2 wounded), the Ingush (1 dead), the Kirghiz, Azerbaijanis, natives of Panama (1 wounded each).
On April 6 a group of people had cruelly beaten 18-year-old Rafail Sadygov near his house – the son of vice-president of Federal national-cultural autonomy of Azerbaijanis Mekhriban Sadygova. Later on it was found out that the same people had beaten several people else basing upon xenophobia – including citizens of Tajikistan.
On April 6 unknown malefactors attacked a citizen of Kirghizia in Nizhniy Novgorod and wounded him with a knife.
On April 8 the skinheads tried to attack the participants of the presentation the book “To dislodge fascism” that took place in one of Moscow clubs. Nobody suffered and the attackers dispersed as soon as the rest of the activity participants came out of the club.
On April 13 a citizen of Panama – student of residency of the medical academy - was beaten in Yaroslavl.
In mid-April the citizen of Tajikistan B. Allarbiyev was beaten in electric train near Moscow.
On April 16 an attack on two students from Tajikistan was committed. One of them died, and another one was badly wounded.
On April 17 an attack on native of Tajikistan was committed in Moscow.
On April 18 a citizen of Tajikistan was killed by skinheads right in the yard of Butyrsky office of public prosecutor in Moscow.
On April 19 unknown people shot down the Ingush religious figure M. Esmurziyev in Nazran.
On April 19, during a spontaneous meeting of gastarbeiters who demanded to pay the debts for salary at one of construction sites in St. Petersburg, representatives of employer inflicted several knife wounds upon the most active meeting participant – 40-year-old F. Khaidarov from Uzbekistan.
Vandalism
During the period since January till April 2009 34 cases of vandalism at least were recorded.
During last two weeks of April 8 cases of vandalism at least were recorded, in particular:
On April 17 unknown people desecrated the place of construction of an Orthodox temple in Smidovich settlement (Jewish autonomous region) sawing down the founding cross.
On April 20 drawings of swastika were discovered in Volgograd as well as Hitler’s portraits and xenophobic graffiti.
On April 22 it became known that neo-Nazis drew Hitler’s portraits and inscriptions “SS” around the whole quarter in St. Petersburg.
On the night of April 28 21 graves were desecrated in Tver at the Jewish section of Dmitrovo-Cherkassky cemetery.
Law-enforcement practice
During the period since January till April 2009 82 persons were convicted for crimes motivated by aggressive xenophobia including: 7 persons were sentenced to correctional and public work, 4 – to educational effect measures, 1 was sentenced to 2 days of arrest, 4 – to imprisonment in colony-settlement, 28 - got suspended sentences, 17 were sentenced to 1-5-year imprisonment, 1 – to 6-year imprisonment, 8 – to 10-20-year imprisonment, 2 - were released from liability due to exceeding of statute of limitation, and the proceedings were terminated towards one due to his repentance. One else of the accused was found not guilty completely.
Totally in April 15 persons were convicted on the cases on xenophobia and extremism: educational effect measures were applied towards 2 persons, 2 were sentenced to correctional and public work, 4 – got suspended sentences, 5 –were sentenced to 1-5-year imprisonment and 1 – to 10-year imprisonment.
Nationalists’ actions on May 1
For several years the radical nationalists aspire for arrangement of one more “Russian march” on May 1 under a brand “Russian march of labor”.
This year conduction of the “march” in Moscow was accompanied by squabbles among nationalists even before its start. Representatives of Movement against illegal immigration (DPNI) and “Slavic union” (SS) announced that it were them who got the permission as long ago as on April 24 for the meeting (but not the march) at 2 p.m. Their joint application envisaged 2-hour meeting at the square in front of main entrance to VVTs (permitted number – 500 persons) and 2-hour “people’s festivals” on the same place (permitted number – 1500 persons without loud-hailers). Probably apprehending that too little people would come to the meeting, DPNI activists announced the big assemblage of sympathizers from all the regions of the Central federal district adjacent to Moscow. On the threshold of meeting the activity organizers accused the labor migrants of strike-breaking on their blogs and demanded introduction of visa regime with CIS countries under the slogan “defense of native population”.
At the same time representatives of the organization “Russian image” positioning themselves as nationalists having support of authorities, announced that it were them who got the permission for conduction of march on May 1 at 2 p.m. in the same district under the slogan “Total mobilization against Communism and capitalism” with the number of participants about 1000 people. Except “Russian image” itself and group “Russian civil society”, the “march” had to be participated by representatives of so-called “national-autonoms”, members of organization “First league” uniting some Moscow activists of nationalist organizations and some “National line. Division Russia”. At the same time the march participants had to carry the flags of various unacknowledged states or separatist groups from various countries of the world. Representatives of “Russian image” announcing “We need national socialism” also promised that among their banners the flag would be available handed-over to them by representatives of Association of Drozdov’s Division Veterans (USA). In the slogans of “Russian image” the special stress is laid upon intentional “Russian character”: “For Russian labor”, “For Russian working class!”, “Glory to Russian labor”.
As a result, DPNI accused “Russian image” of provocation and desire to disrupt their “march” and also threatened the participants of an alternative march with various troubles in future. Representatives of “Russian image” announced in their turn that their competitors have just the permission for a march along T. Shevchenko embankment being the traditional place of marches for opposition.
Except Moscow, the nationalists also plan to conduct the marches under the brand “Russian march of labor” in St. Petersburg (local DPNI branch is the organizer here), Nizhniy Novgorod (one of slogans here says: “No – to genocide of Russian people!” thus trying to legalize the xenophobe myth about genocide of Russians allegedly conducted in Russia). In Tver DPNI representatives plan to take part in 1st-of-May march arranged by KPRF as a separate unit.
Gypsy-phobia in Russia in 2007-2008
In Russia Gypsy-phobia still takes place as a constituent of xenophobic moods. Level of Gypsy-phobia varies depending on the region. According to interrogation conducted by sociologists of Youth center of Oktyabrsky district, Krasnoyarsk, in May 2008, just 1,4% of the interrogated would like to see the Gypsies in their district. On the other hand, according to the data of interrogation conducted in January 2008 in Bashkortostan, 25% of respondents were anxious due to inflow of migrants including Gypsies. Such a scatter of data can be explained by the fact that in second case the village population was interrogated being more conservative and susceptible to migrant-phobic mythology than townsfolk.
On January 22, 2009 the escalator-keeper at the transfer between stations “Vladimirskaya” and “Dostoyevskaya” of St. Petersburg underground L. Loshakova announced several times through microphone: “Watch out! There are Gypsies in the station!”. After address of rights defenders, the person on duty was asked to stop repeating her dubious announcement. The nationalists arranged collection of money for L. Loshakova (about 30 000 rubles were totally collected in February-early March) that were handed-over to her on March 15 by organizer of the money collection together with “KP” journalist D. Steshin.
Such moods inevitably grow into attacks on Gypsies. Though after a flash of such attacks that took place in 2005-2006 and attracted increased attention of the federal center and European observers their number started decreasing (first of all this deals with arsons or destructions of Gypsy houses as “built illegally”), such attacks still take place.
On February 3, 2007 an attack on a Gypsy from Moldavia was committed in St. Petersburg underground. The malefactors inflicted several knife wounds on her and escaped after that.
On February 28, 2008 young 26-year-old Gypsy and his 1,5-year-old daughter were killed with particular cruelty in Ignatovka village of Mainovsky district, Ulyanovsk region.
Attitude of authority representatives towards the Gypsies
The law-enforcement bodies prefer leading the attacks on Gypsies to manifestations of “everyday” hooliganism. Thus, the criminal proceedings were instituted under clause 112 (deliberate causing of medium-severity damage to health) of the Criminal code of RF concerning attack on the Gypsy on February 3, 2007. One of murderers of the Gypsy from Ignatovka village was released despite his confession testimony and started threating the Gypsy community at once with arsons of their houses. As a result, the Gypsies were afraid of leaving their houses for a week at least. The trial over skinheads who attacked a Gypsy camp near Volzhsk in 2006 is delayed (two persons perished due to this attack): the victims and witnesses for defence do not get subpoenas, they are not notified when the sitting of the court is to take place etc.
In some regions recurrences of old “punitive” policy towards Gypsies remain. In January 2008 militia conducted mass detentions of Gypsies in Volgograd and Volzhsky; at the same time dactylograms were taken from the detained.
The problem with Gypsy settlements at the outskirts of some inhabited localities remains. Most part of residents of these houses has no legal documents for land and houses, sometimes the registration is lacking, and this makes this territory attractive for various building companies. The strained situation in such inhabited localities was remaining despite interruption of evicting Gypsies and destroying houses. In Chudovo town (Novgorod region) that became a symbol of such evictions, the head of district administration stated during the meeting with a group of French journalists in November 2008 that the eviction would be continued “from those houses that would be considered to have been built illegally by an expert commission” (there are about 150 houses and grounds in the settlement that can be covered by such a definition), and inhabitants of the destroyed houses would be resettled to nearby village.
In February 2009 a permission to buy a covered wagon at the expense of her “mother’s capital” was refused for a Gypsy woman from Kaliningrad.
For solution of this problem, the decision on the level of Federal law or subordinate legislation is necessary that would provide a chance for Gypsies to legalize their rights for houses and land they are located on.
Increase of activity for counteraction to extremist manifestations towards the Gypsies can be noted as a positive tendency concerning the problems of Gypsies on the part of representatives of authorities, judicial and administrative bodies.
Thus, on November 6, 2008 the Novosibirsk regional court passed a sentence on the case concerning arsons of Gypsy houses in 2004-2005 and attacks on businessmen in Iskitim and Berdsk towns. Seven of the accused were sentenced to 9-14,5-year-imprisonment, at the same time the head of criminal group Alexander Grigoryev (Grinya) was sentenced to the longest term of imprisonment – 14,5 years and the second head, Oleg Bakharev – to 9 years.
On February 14, 2008 a meeting took place in Volzhsky town held by the town mayor. Representatives of coercive structures attended at the meeting: FSB, MVD, as well as representatives of the Gypsy community. Mayor of Volzhsky town gave his telephone numbers to the representative of the Gypsy community Ye. Konstantinova and requested to inform him personally about all the illegal actions of militia.
Anti-Gypsy materials in mass media and combat against them
In the TV program “Man and law” shown on the “First channel” on February 8, 2007 its presenter A. Pimanov stated: “So, the Gypsies. I adore their songs. I respect Slichenko infinitely. But it deals today with other Gypsies you meet at railway stations, in electric trains, and in the underground. You must know one thing – these are members of criminal communities. Yes, that’s so. There are no other Gypsies there. They would tear your head away!”. So A. Pimanov ranked actually all the Gypsies present in public places among the criminals.
On March 28, 2009 journalist D. Steshin published an article in the newspaper “Komsomolskaya pravda” named “Don’t frighten the thieves otherwise you would be a fascist” devoted to L. Loshakova. He brought all the activity of L. Loshakova to “counteraction to thieves” and accused the administration of St. Petersburg underground that deprived Mrs. Loshakova from the premium of the fact that they “forgot about passengers” whose pockets are allegedly emptied by the Gypsies. And the Gypsies themselves were presented in the material exclusively as thieves (“Everybody knows very well what the Gypsies do”). And the rights defenders were accused of “protection of an ethnic criminal group from discontent of law-abiding citizens”.
On February 22, 2008 the Public collegium on complaints at the press made a decision concerning the appeal of European center on rights of Gypsies about TV company “First channel” in connection with TV subject in the program “Man and law” (broadcast of February 8, 2007). The collegium decision noted that “the creative team of the program “Man and law” found itself in captivity of negative stereotypes common in marginal society strata. As a result the broadcast program can be perceived as that assaulting ethnic feelings of Gypsies and fixing aloofness towards the Gypsies in the society as towards one of ethnic entities of multi-national people of Russia. And the most alarming fact is that such a dislocation of accents took place in one of the leading legal programs of the “First channel” having the audience of many millions. It was recommended to A. Pimanov “to return to this subject and explain the sense of the presenter’s words basing upon inadmissibility of inciting ethic dissension”. It was recommended to mass media to be guided by decision of the Judicial chamber on informational disputes of the President of Russian Federation dated July 14, 1994 No 22 “On ethnic aspect of elucidation of the reasons for criminality in mass media” during preparation of materials concerning so-called “ethnic criminality”.
On September 16, 2008 the Public collegium on complaints at the press partially complied with appeal of Gypsy leaders N. Demeter and A. Bariyev against TV program “Coma” broadcast in February 2004 and containing a number of anti-Gypsy statements. In particular, it was noted concerning the Gypsies that the journalists who prepared the program “found themselves in the captivity of widespread ideas concerning ethnic sources of criminality”, and the program itself “may be perceived as that assaulting ethnic feelings of Gypsies and fixing aloofness towards the Gypsies in the society” but not as that inciting interethnic dissension. It was proposed to NTV to discuss the made decision of the Public collegium in their journalist collective and inform the Public collegium about the results of discussion. But NTV TV company refused of cooperation with the Collegium.
Statement of Moscow bureau for human rights concerning the demand of compensation of material and moral damage from Russian by Latvia
The report was published in Latvia calculating the sum of damage from Soviet occupation. More than 100 bln lits were already counted (about 187,3 bln USD).
What was the method of calculation? The supposition what gross internal produce would be possessed by Latvia if it would never be included into the Soviet Union and would develop with the same rate as Austria, Denmark, Finland and USA. But the calculation is just preliminary as the report authors note that activity of Soviet regime on the territory of Latvia has demographic, social, economic and moral consequences. That’s why Latvia wants to demand not just money from Russia but also penitence.
These are already not the first calculations of this kind in the Baltic country. Last year the calculations of Latvian commission on damage caused to Latvia “by Communist occupying regime” showed that “direct demographic losses due to Soviet occupation” exceed “10 mln man-years”.
There are two circumstances in this story with money and penitence. Certainly any decent and reasonable man would bow his head as a sign of grieve and sympathy with the Letts who lived through the period of hardest Stalin’s repressions after loss of independence in 1940. Dozens thousand Baltic people were executed, sent to exile to Siberia, and deprived of right to preserve their cultural and religious traditions.
Due to historical circumstances, the repressions of the Communist regime are inevitably associated with Russia and Russians in the conscience of native population. And the task of new democratic authorities of Latvia here is to reconstruct the historical picture of the past in its entirety, estimate the tragedy experienced not only by Latvia but by all the peoples included into the USSR during the period of Stalinism – including the Russian people that suffered from innumerable crosses and lost millions of people in Stalin’s slaughter-house. It’s necessary to explain to the people that it’s not Russia that is to blame, not the Russians and not the Jews but Stalinism, inhumane regime.
But instead of this official Latvia followed the road at once that was rejected by the whole Western Europe. Though formally Communism and Nazism were announced two main historical enemies of Lettish people, actually it is the Communism (in the person of the Soviet Union and now today’s Russia) that was announced the culprit of all the disasters of the Letts. And it’s not occasionally that the Latvian authorities started making heroes of the Lettish citizens that took part in battles on Hitler’s side and during the first decade after acquisition of independence the Day of Lettish legionary was considered the official state holiday – actually the holiday of fascists.
A lot was already said on this subject, and also by international organizations observing Latvia with anxiety – it is the single state in Europe where the fascist marches are officially permitted.
But let’s address to another circumstance, namely concrete methods of money calculation as this absurd idea came to the heads of Latvian authorities. The report authors are positive that Latvia, if it would not be occupied, would be able to develop like Austria, Finland, Denmark. And why, as a matter of fact? Various countries, while remaining independent, also have the various levels of development. It also depends to the great extent on the creative potential of the ethnos, on the level of culture and science. Austria gave the world Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Kafka, Muzil, Zweig, Klimt, Freud, and many dozens of greatest figures of science and culture else. Small Denmark gave the world Kierkegaard, Andersen, Lars von Trier, Tycho Brache, Nils Bohr. Finland may be proud of Sibelius and Mannerheim. Yes, Riga was one of the most cultured cities of Europe in 1930s-1940s but first of all due to the German, Jewish and Russian emigrant culture that flourished here.
Later on, the report authors operate with figures of minerals that the Soviet Union extracted from the bowels of Latvia for the needs of the army. But was it calculated what financial flows went from the center into the Baltic republics? How many Lettish engineers, doctors, officials studied in Moscow and Leningrad? People went to study mostly from Riga to Moscow and not from Moscow to Riga. Were the costs of their education calculated, as well as costs of transfer of thousands builders, engineers to Latvia where the plants and factories were built with efforts of Russians?
And finally, Latvia is independent already for almost twenty years but it was in Latvia that the global financial crisis struck the population most of all for some reasons and led to mass disasters in January when thousands people were close to storming the parliament building. The “Russian trail” again? And why the Latvian authorities do not compare themselves with Denmark in this case?
In other words, all these economic calculations are absurd both from the historical and from the technical point of view.
But there are even more regretful circumstances in the demand of compensation and public excuses. It is Latvia that demands them – the country where the percentage of the Jews that perished during the war is higher than anywhere in the world, the country that “became famous” for the fact that the Jews (and not only Jews) were killed not so much by the Germans as by the local population. So-called “Victor Aivars detachment” not just eliminated dozens thousand local Jews but was also sent to other regions – for elimination of Byelorussian and Russian villages, for elimination of Polish Jews.
Don’t the Latvian authorities want to present their public apologies to the Jews, Russians, Byelorussians for this?
The report authors reasonably provide the evidence of cruelties of the Bolshevik regime. The Bolshevik regime is identified with Russia and Russians by them. And what about 40 thousand Lettish riflemen who played the most significant role in revolution and formation of that very Bolshevik-Communist regime carrying death to thousands of Russians with their bayonets? Maybe Russia should create a commission and calculate what would be the situation development in Russia if the Lettish division would not make their determinant contribution into the Russian revolution? Maybe there would be no Communist regime then either? And how many people, resources wouldn’t be lost by Russia? And then - present a bill to Latvia, money and moral one?
Certainly such a proposal would be absurd. Because the blood was our common and the tragedy was our common too. And it’s most bitter that some politicians of the young independent state try to make business upon this blood swinging the fascist banners at the same time.
Conclusion of Moscow bureau for human rights concerning the draft Federal Law “On introducing amendments into the Criminal Code of Russian Federation and Code on administrative delinquencies”
The bill was presented to the State Duma of RF in accordance to which the clauses punishing for propaganda, demonstration, depicting, wearing or sale of Nazi attributes or symbols are transferred to the Criminal code from the administrative one. The document author, member of the Federation Council Rustem Shiyanov, proposes to introduce the imprisonment for such delinquencies.
The senator proposes to punish for propaganda, public demonstration or depicting of Nazi attributes and symbols either with penalty up to 120 thousand rubles or enforcement to compulsory work for 150-240 hours, or by correctional work for the period from six months to one year.
In the opinion of Shiyanov, those who sell or buy for further sale, for example, clothes with fascist swastika, should face the stricter punishment. In case of adoption of the law they may be subject to penalties in amount up to 300 thousand rubles, forced to public work for 200-240 hours or to correctional work for the period from one to two years. The infringer may also face the imprisonment – from one to three years.
The presented draft Federal Law “On introducing amendments into the Criminal Code of Russian Federation and Code on administrative delinquencies” (hereinafter “Federal law”) banning demonstration and dissemination of Nazi attributes looks necessary and timely. Increase of chauvinist, xenophobe moods in Russia during recent years is often fed by neo-Nazi ideology, laudation of German Nazism and Hitler. In particular, this ideology is the basis of youth skinhead groups distinguishing themselves by special cynicism and cruelty. Public demonstration of Nazi symbols is assaulting for the Great Patriotic war veterans who defended the country from Nazism.
Serious punishment for demonstration and dissemination of Nazi symbols may decrease to considerable extent the attractiveness of the Nazi ideology for the youth being not firm spiritually, and would be an adequate measure in the country that conquered fascism.
But in our opinion the Federal law requires considerable supplementation due to the following circumstances:
1. Such an element of Nazi attributes as swastika is a universal ancient historical-religious symbol that was broadly used in religious attributes of ancient religions and in decorative-ornamental creative work. Thus it may be subject to demonstration as an element of artifacts, museum objects.
2. Some elements of Nazi symbols (in particular, ancient German eagle) are still officially used in Germany.
3. Demonstration of Nazi symbols is inevitable in the movies, theatre performances etc, in illustrations and photos of books and albums associated with the subject of the World War II. It takes place in the museums devoted to the history of the World War II.
As a result, unconditional prohibition of demonstration of Nazi symbols may lead to absurd situation when criminal proceedings may be instituted against corresponding actors, museum employees, historians for sewing and wearing of Hitler’s uniform in the film devoted to the World War II, for demonstration of ancient Buddhist image in the museum or for reproduction of a photo of Hitler’s tank in the book on history of armament. The practice shows that knowledge and common sense of officials are often lacking, especially in the regions, for distinguishing intentional and cynical reproduction of Nazi symbols from the cases of its necessary use for historical-cultural purposes. Prohibition of use of Nazi symbols as the “propaganda”, as this is explained in the draft Federal law and in Explanatory note to the draft Federal law, is too vague.
So we propose to supplement clause 2131. item 1, after the words “in public places”, with the following stipulation: “if public demonstration, depicting or wearing of Nazi attributes are not associated with cultural-historical and educational activity”.
And also item 2 after the words “Manufacturing, sale or acquisition of Nazi attributes with the purpose of sale” with the following stipulation: “if manufacturing, sale or acquisition of Nazi attributes or symbols are not associated with cultural-historical and educational activity”. |
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