The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation on extremism

On February 10, 2009, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, Rashid Nurgaliev, said in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta that “an increase in crimes of an extremist nature” was being recorded in the country.

The minister added that “the number of participants in various radical movements - from nationalist organizations to fan groups” is about 200 thousand people. About 10 thousand people were placed on operational and preventive records “for committing various extremist offenses.”

R. Nurgaliev noted that there are more than 80 international extremist organizations in Russia that “propagandize radical Islamic ideology.” In addition, organized crime groups deliberately give banal criminal squabbles an “interethnic coloring.”

The minister emphasized that countering extremism has become one of the priorities for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In 2008, a specialized Department for Countering Extremism (DPE) was formed .

Sources

• Tverdov P. Rashid Nurgaliev: “We will not allow rampant crime.” The Minister of Internal Affairs of Russia believes that criminal wars are a thing of the past // Nezavisimaya Gazeta. 2009. February 10.