Explosion of a synagogue in Saratov

On the night of May 5-6, 2007, an explosive device went off in a synagogue in Saratov. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The building suffered minor damage. An investigation is underway.

The Congress of Jewish Religious Organizations and Associations in Russia (KEROOR) expressed concern about what had happened. Congress does not rule out that the explosion in the synagogue may be related to the May 7 Jewish holiday Lag B'Omer or Victory Day.

As reported in the press service of the regional police department, " "as a result, the window frame was burned, and the outer window glass burst . It is established that "a low-power explosive device of a primitive nature" exploded . On the fact of the incident, a criminal case was initiated under Part 2 of Art. 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (deliberate destruction or damage to property, committed out of hooligan motives).

In addition, according to the press service of the Main Internal Affairs Directorate of the Saratov Region, on May 5 and 6, two more cases of vandalism were recorded in the region: a pogrom at a cemetery in the village of. Rybushka and the appearance of "an inscription containing a threat and insult" on the wall of the Seventh-day Adventist prayer house in the city of Engels.

The representative of the press service of the regional police department stressed that since all these cases are "unsystematic" and occurred in different districts of the region, this indicates hooliganism.

See also on the Religion in a Secular Society website .

Sources

• Bomb exploded in Saratov synagogue // Lenta.ru. 2007. May 7.
• An explosion occurred in the synagogue of Saratov, no one was injured // Interfax-religion. 2007. May 7.
• A criminal case has been opened on the fact of the explosion in the Saratov synagogue, the police announce two more cases of vandalism in the region // Interfax-religion. 2007. May 7.