The number of ethnically motivated crimes rises 100 to 150 cases each year

Moscow, October 21st - But only two or three persons are sentenced. This announced Alexander Brod, director of the Moscow Bureau of Human Rights, on a press conference. According to investigations of Human Rights activists, There arenпїЅt introduced more than 70 criminal cases on article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (пїЅArousing of national, racial or religious enmityпїЅ) each year. Only ten of them come to court. Ethnically motivated crimes пїЅare usually qualified as hooliganismпїЅ. In the opinion of the Human Rights activist, this causes in the lack of пїЅqualified expertsпїЅ in the law-enforcement agencies and in the non-existence of a пїЅspecialized institute, which would involve into its conclusion the radical literature, the ideology of neo-nazismпїЅ. пїЅWe are willing to make such a conclusion. If the courts and public prosecutors only were willing to resist this phenomenonпїЅ, noted Alexander Brod. Besides, he declared that since the recent past the Russian neo-nazists actively cooperate with foreign partners. And пїЅRussia is used as a bridgehead for nationalist ideasпїЅ by skinheads from different countries, since they can пїЅact here undisturbedпїЅ. According to the president of the foundation пїЅKholokotпїЅ Alla Gerber, there are at least 5,000 skinheads in the Russian capital only. In Russia there are more than 50,000. Furthermore the Russian society is пїЅsick of xenophobiaпїЅ, thinks Alla Gerber. More than 60% of the Russians agree with the slogan пїЅRussia to the Russians!пїЅ

Contact:
Alexander Brod (Moscow Bureau of Human Rights), Phone: +7 (095) 207-39-13, 232-29-90, 956-76-15, e-mail: [email protected]