Racism and Xenophobia in July 2014

The following is our monthly review of incidents of xenophobic violence and other offenses, and any counteraction by the Russian authorities. The information was collected in the course of Sova Center’s monitoring activities.

No fewer than three people were injured in racist attacks this month, in Moscow and Bryansk region.

Since the beginning of the year, no fewer than 13 people have been killed as a result of racist violence, with 67 more injured and one receiving a serious death threat. Such incidents have been recorded in 19 regions of Russia.

July saw no fewer than two acts of xenophobic vandalism, with mosques torched in Arkhangelsk and Elista (in the Kalmyk Republic). Since the beginning of the year, we have recorded 26 such acts of vandalism in 21 regions of the country.

Ultra-right activity was pretty low in July. We should note that a Day of Solidarity with Nationalist Prisoners was held in a few cities on July 25, with negligible turnout.

On the question of Ukraine, there is still no consensus in the ultra-right community. Nationalists attempted this month to hold a series of small actions In Support of New Russia (Novorossiya). On July 13, the National Liberation Movement (NOD) held something entitled the Rally in Support of the National Leader Vladimir Putin and Providing Volunteer Assistance to the Brotherly People of New Russia, which drew a few young people prepared to go to Ukraine as part of NOD.

Other nationalists are prepared to fight on the opposite side. For example, Roman "Zuhel" Zheleznov landed in Ukraine on July 9, and is reported to have offered to fight with the Ukrainian army, while also seeking Ukrainian citizenship.

Nationalists continued to hold their traditional actions this month. For example, the National Socialist Initiative (NSI) continued with Russian Sweeps on July 13 and 20 in various parts of Saint Petersburg. During the later action, purportedly with police permission, a sales kiosk was destroyed. About ten people participated, with the action being led by NSI leader Dmitry "Schultz" Bobrov.

We are aware of one July 2014 verdict on racist violence charges that took a hate motive into account. Two residents of Petrozavodsk were convicted in related to an attack at a bazaar. Additionally, we note the sentence of three members of a so-called "radical community with extremist bias" in relation to the murder of a suspected pedophile.

Since the beginning of the year, there have been no fewer than 12 verdicts on racist violence charges, taking into account the hate motive. These trials say 30 people convicted in ten regions of the country.

Sixteen verdicts in 13 regions treated xenophobic propaganda this month. They saw 16 people convicted. Among them was the former director of a publishing house, who was given a suspended sentence for the publication of the book Generals of the Jewish Mafia by Grigory Dubrov.

Since the beginning of the year, 78 xenophobic propaganda verdicts have convicted as many people, in 40 regions of Russia.