February, 2009. Monthly Summary

In February, 2009, not less than 26 people, including 2 fatalities, became victims of racist and neo-nazi attacks. To compare, in February, 2008, we registered not less than 71 victims, including 18 fatalities. The decrease is partly due to the active work of the law enforcement bodies: there were several nazi skinhead groups detained in the winter months. However, the fact that there have been no incidents reported since February 12, is suspicious.

In all, there were 16 people killed and 51 injured in 2009.

Moscow remains the major center of violence. In February, there were 10 people killed and not less than 27 injured. St. Petersburg, including Leningrad region is next in this rating. A singular attack with multiple victims was reported in Novosibirsk (1 person dead, not less than 4 injured in a result of attack on Armenian people), as well as in Kursk (not less than 5 victims, visitors of an anti-fascist concert).

Besides, racist incidents were reported in February in Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Tambov.

People of black color were attacked more often than the others: 1 person dead and not less than 13 injured. However, the most cruel crimes are still committed against people from the Central Asia: 8 people dead and not less than 6 injured.

In February 2009, threats to human rights and antifascist activists became a significant part of the neo-nazi activity. This includes systematic threats to the SOVA Center stuff.

As far as we know, there were no verdicts for racist violence in February , 2009.

There were not less than 4 guilty verdicts for hate propaganda under article 282 (incitement to hatred) against 5 people: in Veliky Novgorod, Kaliningrad, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and in Yakutia.

One more verdict connected to racist propaganda was issued in Kemerovo under article 280 (calls to extremist activity).

The Federal List of Extremist Materials was enlarged on February 5, 19 and 24. By March 1, in contained 318 entries.