| Russia: Rights
Groups Say Fascism, Racism Flourishing By Claire Bigg Russia may seem like an unlikely breeding ground for neo-Nazism considering the devastation German Nazi troops wrought on the country. On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, however, Russian human rights groups are warning of growing ultra-nationalist feelings in the country. RFE/RL correspondent Claire Bigg reports from Moscow. Moscow, 5 May 2005 (RFE/RL) -- As Russia prepares to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Russian human rights activists are denouncing what they call an upsurge of racism, xenophobia, and neo-Nazism in the country. Speaking at a news conference in Moscow yesterday, the activists called on Russians not to forget that the Soviet Union also repressed, deported, and massacred ethnic minorities. Alla Gerber, who heads the Holocaust Foundation in Moscow, said that despite the defeat of Nazi Germany, fascism is deeply ingrained in the Russian mindset. Fascism is a broad term used in Russia to describe any xenophobic attitude, including Nazism. "We have gathered today on the eve of Victory Day because fascism was not defeated at the root, in the conscience of people, because fascism was always associated with the invaders," Gerber said. "Hitler's Germany was fascist, yes, but we haven't done anything, said anything about the country we lived in, and what happened to us, and today we are witnessing the consequences." At the news conference, the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights released a report on racism, xenophobia, and neo-Nazism in Russia based on the results of recent opinion polls. According to the report, half of Russians consider that foreigners in Russia have "too much power" and say they are ready to support measures limiting the presence of nationals from former Soviet Central Asian countries. The reports also showed that one-third of Russians described neo-Nazis as "cleansers of society" while 43 percent of respondents said they were disturbed by the presence of foreign nationals in Russia. Participants at the conference said xenophobic feelings were exacerbated by the Beslan hostage tragedy in September. That attack, in which more than 330 people were killed, was blamed on militants linked to the Chechen rebel movement. Meanwhile, reports of attacks on foreigners have multiplied in recent months -- the latest on 2 March, when two Algerian students were beaten up in the Moscow metro. Both suffered minor injuries. Others, however, have not been so lucky. Last year in Moscow and St. Petersburg, a Georgian man was stabbed to death, a Vietnamese student was murdered, an Uzbek migrant worker was beaten and stabbed to death, and a 9-year-old Tajik girl was killed in front of her father by a band of teenagers armed with knifes and chains. In most cases, witnesses described the assailants as "skinheads." The authorities, however, often file such attacks under "hooliganism," a charge that angers human rights groups. Aleksandr Brod, the director of Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, denounced what he calls a lack of political will to fight ultranationalists groups in Russia. "Russia doesn't have any planned government policy to counter racism, xenophobia, and neo-Nazism," Brod said. "Looking at these brown [racist] newspapers, we see that hundreds of books promoting pogroms and Nazism and dozens of videos are being released and actively sent to libraries, schools, and higher-education institutions. But where is the governmental program to issue antifascist films and books?" Like many human rights advocates, Brod said the Russian government turns a blind eye to the activities of ultranationalist groups in order to promote its own interests. "We have the impression that the presence of these brown [racist] forces is very beneficial to someone. This is a well-tested method: neo-Nazi forces, publications, and groups are supported, an atmosphere of fear is created, and then the conclusion is made that the current president is needed otherwise a fascist president will come to power." (*) The wave of attacks has already forced a number of foreign students in Russia to drop out of university and go home. In March alone, 15 students from Arab countries abandoned their studies in St. Petersburg and left Russia following a series of attacks on foreigners. http://rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/5/A90557A1-9DD5-4D2E-BF55-C0F1AD450BA8.html 5.5.2005 Antifascist action banned in Moscow RUSSIA, Moscow. The authorities of Moscow’s Central District refused permission to hold Russia Without Fascism demonstration planned for 7 May. Organisers told the news conference at the Independent Press Centre on 3 May that demonstrators were to march holding lit candles from Belorussky train station along Tverskaya street to Manezhnaya square where a rally was to take place. They also planned to lay flowers at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Alexandrovsky gardens. The action was intended as a protest against the actions of pro-fascist groups in Russia whose members commit racially motivated violent crimes, and also against promoting racism. On 22 April, organisers, including Youth Human Rights Movement, Moscow Helsinki Group, Russian National Associations Congress, Da! Youth democratic organisation and other members of All-Russian Civil Congress, acting as private individuals, informed Moscow Central District authorities about their plans to hold the event. On the same day organisers wrote to Russian President who by law on public events approves the programme of events to be held at Alexandrovsky gardens. To-date no response from President has been received. Organisers told the press conference that on 27 April they were invited to Moscow’s Central District Prefecture. Instead of discussing details of the action, Deputy Prefect S. Vasiukov, FSB officer A. Klochkov and Internal Affairs Authority official Y. Zdorenko asked questions, of which many were clearly irrelevant. The officials were interested to know the motives behind the application for permission to hold the event; they asked to explain what fascism is and give examples of fascists’ activities in Russia. The officials also enquired whether protest organisers believed Marching Together to be fascists, whether they were aware that the law regulating public events was intended for people with moral values and whether organisers indeed had any notion of morals. The officials then stated that demonstration organisers were financed by the US and intended to act similar to the Ukrainian Pora seeking to overthrow the Russian President. The authorities’ representatives suggested that the event be held at Slavyanskaya square or Suvorovskaya square as stated in the official response to the application. The officials explained their refusal by preparations for Victory Day celebrations on the 9th of May and anti-terrorist measures. Organisers will appeal against the officials’ actions in court. Translated by Olga Sharp PRIMA-News Agency [2005-05-03-Rus-24] http://www.prima-news.ru/eng/news/news/2005/5/5/32085.html Starving Chechen women and children call to help them Six hours was meeting between the Coordination Counsel of Chechen muhajirs (refugees) and representatives of HCFR (High Commissioner for Refugees) of UN, the ministries of settling of refugees of Georgia in Tbilisi. It has been connected to the hunger-strike of the Chechen women and children proceeding the ninth day at humanitarian office. As a result the people tired by discussion have returned to initial positions, and all has come to the end without results. Officials have not given even hope for the decision of problems of muhajirs and participants of the action and their representatives have not left doubts that will continue hunger-strike up to the end. Meanwhile two more families have joined to starving on Tuesday, and also Aishat Salahazhiyeva comes back to the action who was hospitalized several days ago in one of clinics of Tbilisi. Yesterday night there were serious problems with health of another woman, Zura Mazayeva. Doctors of "Skoraya" have insisted on her hospitalization. Having learned about an ineffectual meeting, women have demanded from the representatives to stop the further dialogue with HCFR of UN, whose foundation have henceforth decided to call the Organization of Violence Justification.. Edition of Kavkaz Center carries out the personal request of the despaired people -- participants of the action (about 15 families) which have asked to tell their call for help to the world community, to all people of good will to accept them in any country. It is necessary to add only that many of them are thrown out on streets, because of non-payment for the apartments where they lived. Kavkaz Center 2005-05-05 eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 4/5/2005 Torture in pre-trial detention In a live broadcast on Echo of Moscow radio, Musa Ozdoyev, a member of the People's Assembly (legislature) of Ingushetia and leader of the Ingush regional division of the People's Party, announced detainees are tortured in a pre-trial detention centre of Ingushetia's Internal Affairs Ministry. Mr Ozdoyev says he learned about that while being kept in custody in the pre-trial detention centre to which he was delivered following his detention for organising an opposition action in Nazran on Saturday. The lawmaker says "cruellest torture" was used in particular against the person who was in the next cell. "Everyone go through that there. People have their fingernails torn out and kneecaps broken with hammers," says Mr Ozdoyev. "I saw those people. This was in the pre-trial detention centre of Ingushetia's Internal Affairs Ministry." The lawmaker said he was ready to "go down there with any commission and let those people tell the truth." eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 5/5/2005 Torture in pre-trial detention centre denied Bekhan Gereyev, a detainee suspected of taking part in an attack on republican law enforcement agencies in June 2004 and kept in custody in the pre-trial detention centre of Ingushetia's Internal Affairs Ministry, denies the information of some media about illegal methods used with respect to detainees in the centre. This is what Mukhtar Buzurtanov, chairman of the Legislation, Lawfulness, Law & Order and Security Commission on the Ingush parliament, told Interfax on 4 May. He said he had talked to Gereyev in the presence of the latter's lawyer in the pre-trial detention centre cell. "Gereyev told me personally that no unlawful methods on the part of centre officers were used with respect to him," Buzurtanov noted. Musa Ozdoyev, a member of the People's Assembly (legislature) of Ingushetia and leader of the Ingush regional division of the People's Party, had previously announced detainees were tortured in a pre-trial detention centre of Ingushetia's Internal Affairs Ministry. http://www.ingushetiya.ru/news/5250.html (tr. by M.L.) Bekkhan Gireyev, who has been kept in the IVS MVD of Ingushetia, was delivered to the republic's hospital in grave condition INGUSHETIYA..RU, 06.05.2005 19:50 Kept the remand center [IVS] of Ministry of Internal Affairs [MVD} of Ingushetia Bekhan Giriyev- one of those who are being investigated, and on whom tortures and other illegal methods were used, as was told by the deputy of National Assembly of Ingushetia, Мusа Ozdoyev, in a grave condition was delivered to the republic'a hospital. A room in which Giriyev has been laying it's guarded by the employees of police One of the hospital's surgeons informed, that Giriyev has many injuries on his body, and there's fear that his legs might be amputated. http://www.kavkazcenter.com/russ/content/2005/05/05/33544.shtml Doku Umarov's family taken hostages by the FSB A representative of the military committee GKO - Madzhlisul' of Shura CHRI reported to Kavkazcenter that late night on the 4th and early morning of the 5th of May, the family of the minister of security of CHRI, who commands of the Southwestern Front VS CHRI Doku Umarov was taken hostages by the FSB. It is reported that as hostages have bee seized Doku Umarov's father, his wife and one year old son. Several months ago Umarov's brothers and members of their families were also taken hostages. 2005-05-05 13:07:44 eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 5/5/2005 Chechnya's young go to mountains A number of young men have gone to rebels in the mountains lately, according to information provided by residents of various districts in Chechnya. Many link this with the coming of spring and summer and intensified punitive and repressive actions on the part of Russian and local law enforcement and security agencies, including a dramatically increased number of targeted and sweeping clean-ups of all sorts in which young men are usually detained, the Information Centre of the Council of NGOs says. In doing so, young men do not usually warn their parents and relatives about their plans. However, this does not save the latter from persecution on the part of the military and local law enforcement and security agencies demanding that they should say where their youngsters are. Source: Infromation Center of the Council of NGOs eng.kavkaz.memo.ru Caucasian Knot 5/5/2005 Developments in Chechnya The bodies of three men and one woman were found under a bridge across the Sunzha in Grozny's Leninskii district on 4 May, Grozny resident Ahmad Maashev told Caucasian Knot. Chechnya's Internal Affairs Ministry declined comment saying they had no information about what happened. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. Five unknown people in camouflage uniforms armed with automatic weapons entered room no 15 at temporary accommodation point no 118 in Grozny and abducted an unemployed man who lived there at 11.00 pm on 4 May, a source at Chechnya's Internal Affairs Ministry told RIA Novosti today. Unknown people in camouflage uniforms abducted a police officer of the Grozny District Division of Internal Affairs in Grozny's Leninskii district at about 8.30 am MSK on 4 May, Chechen law enforcement agencies told RIA Novosti. An officer of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry's interior troops triggered a booby trap in the vicinity of Elistanzhi, Vedeno district, and sustained serious wounds, Chechnya's military commandant's office told Caucasian Knot. A Russian Defence Ministry contract serviceman was killed by a bomb in Grozny's Zavodskoi district at about 8.20 pm MSK on 4 May according to an informed source at the United Group of Forces in the North Caucasus, RIA Novosti says. Unknown attackers shot automatic weapons on a joint post of Chechen police officers and servicemen of the Russian Defence Ministry's Zapad ("West") battalion in Grozny's Staropromyslovskii district on 4 May which led to one police officer sustaining a wound, Chechnya's military commandant's office told Caucasian Knot. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. Federal forces destroyed two rebel camps and a field hospital in Chechnya's Vedeno district on 4 May. At least 10 rebels were killed in these special operations, an officer at Chechnya's military commandant's office told Caucasian Knot. Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent. |