Racism and xenophobia. Results of March 2015

In March 2015, at least 2 people were injured in ultra-right attacks in the Volgograd region.

In total, since the beginning of the year, at least 22 people have suffered from racist attacks, of which 2 people died. These attacks took place in 7 regions of Russia: Moscow and the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Nizhny Novgorod and Sverdlovsk regions, the Republic of Karelia (remember, these statistics do not include victims of incidents that occurred in the republics of the North Caucasus and Crimea).

In March, we are aware of two acts of xenophobically motivated vandalism. In Volgograd, unknown vandals desecrated the foundation stone installed at the site of the mass execution of Jews. A youth center in Novosibirsk was desecrated. In total, since the beginning of the year, there have been at least 10 acts of xenophobic vandals.

The public activities of the far right were active. Probably the most high-profile event associated with the far right in the past period was the International Russian Conservative Forum , which took place at the Holiday Inn in St. Petersburg on March 22, with the participation of a number of radical nationalists and neo-Nazis from Europe. In fact, the forum was organized by the St. Petersburg branch of the Rodina party, and the formal organizer was the Russian National Cultural Center - People's House. (For more details, see the report of the St. Petersburg Monitor of the SOVA Center).

Individual members of nationalist organizations took part in the march in memory of Boris Nemtsov on March 1. Another group of masked young people with imperial flags was not allowed into the procession by the police. Activists of the Narodnaya Volya movement (part of the former Volnitsa group) were also detained . The reason for the arrest was a Celtic cross on one of the flags.

On March 15, an all-Russian action of nationalists “Russian Solidarity Day” took place against Art. 282 of the Criminal Code. In Moscow, a picket took place on the square near the Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station; no more than 50 people took part in it. The action was organized by the Great Russia party (Andrey Savelyev). Activists of the National Socialist Initiative (NSI) of Dmitry Bobrov, “For Responsible Power” of Yuri Mukhin and the National Democratic Party (NDP) also took part. Two events took place in St. Petersburg. The first was held by “Great Russia” together with the Russian National Front and with the participation of Nikolai Bondarik on the Champ de Mars; it gathered at least 70 people. The second action was carried out by NSI. In various forms, the “Day of Russian Solidarity” was held in no less than 19 cities of the country. However, most protests were attended by only a few people.

We are not aware of any convictions for racist violence handed down in March 2015. In total, since the beginning of the year, 4 sentences have been passed for violent crimes in which the courts recognized the motive of hatred, in 4 regions of the country. In these trials, 6 people were convicted. Let us note that on March 31, 2015, the jury rendered a verdict in the case of the famous neo-Nazi group “Combat Organization of Russian Nationalists” (BORN).

In March, 10 sentences were handed down against 11 people in 7 regions of the country for xenophobic propaganda. In total, since the beginning of the year, at least 35 sentences have been passed for racist and other far-right propaganda, in which 38 people were convicted in 24 regions of the country.

The federal list of extremist materials was updated six times during the month (March 10, 13, 19, 23, 26 and 27). It included items 2621-2680. The list was supplemented by: materials from Muslim militants, xenophobic printed, video and audio materials, including “Skinhead Bible II”, materials from Karelian nationalists, records from the group “Justified Terrorism”, brochures of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a dissertation “ Fundamentals of the Hanafi faith,” article by Boris Stomakhin “Untermenschen,” books by V.S. Shumsky, A.V. Trekhlebov, M.K. Volkov, materials from “Hizb ut-Tahrir.”

In March, the religious organization of Jehovah's Witnesses of the city of Samara, recognized as extremistby the decision of the Samara Regional Court dated May 29, 2014, was added to the Federal List of Extremist Organizations under item 42. Thus, the Federal List of Extremist Organizations includes 42 organizations (not counting 19 organizations that are recognized as terrorist), whose activities are prohibited in court, and the continuation of this activity is punishable under Art. 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.