Anti-Semitism in Russia and the "YUKOS Affair".

On November 18, 2003, a "round table" with the participation of human rights activists was held at the CJD to discuss the problem of anti-Semitism and, in particular, the "anti-Semitic overtones" in the Yukos case.

Henry Reznik, president of the Moscow Chamber of Lawyers, declared his confidence that "anti-Semitism is present in the minds of those people who created this case," but he doubted that the authorities were ready to play this card in the future.

The head of the Department of Psychology, Professor of Moscow State University Alexander Asmolov agreed with G. Reznik that it would be wrong to consider the national motive in the Khodarkovsky case to be decisive, but both in the "Beilis case" and in the "Yukos case" "the use of law enforcement agencies to play antisemitic map.

According to Mark Urnov, chairman of the board of the Center for Political Technologies, "the fact that billionaires have appeared among the Jews in Russia is now used to play such a card," although there are rich people among representatives of all national groups and religions, therefore, Urnov emphasizes, "when in The country is undergoing arrests of Jews known ... all over the world, the state, if it wants to show itself not anti-Semitic, must be especially careful in respecting the law, because any prosecution of a Jew will certainly ... cause increased anti-Semitic reactions" .

Summarizing the above, the head of the MHG, Lyudmila Alekseeva, said that "our society has become xenophobic," and "the Russian political elite is more affected by anti-Semitism than the population as a whole ... Anti-Semitism is common among politicians, it is not considered bad form, and this is reflected in the behavior of the ruling elites, executive power".

Sources

• Sas I. From the "Beilis case" to the "YUKOS case" // Independent newspaper. 11/21/2003. C.10.