Interfax: Seven die in hate crimes in Russia in 2014 – rights defenders

Map of Russia and Russian Flag adapted from images at state.gov

MOSCOW. April 1 (Interfax) – Seven people died in hate crimes in Russia in 2014, the Sova human rights center told Interfax on Tuesday.

“At least 29 people have been injured in racially motivated attacks since the beginning of this year. Seven people died,” the rights defenders said.

Sova recorded attacks in nine regions – Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg, the Vladimir, Irkutsk and Sakhalin regions, Karelia, Tatarstan and the Perm territory.

“At least 13 people were hurt in attacks of ultra right-wingers in Moscow, the Moscow region and the Irkutsk region in March 2014. One person died,” Sova said.

“The activity of ultra right-wingers intensified last month,” the rights defenders said.

Seven persons were sentenced on xenophobia propaganda charges in seven regions of Russia in March, Sova reported. “At least 24 sentences were passed on racist and ultra right-wing propaganda counts this year. Twenty-five persons were convicted in 20 regions of the country,” it said.

The organization said earlier that most xenophobic attacks happened in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2013. “According to tentative reports, 20 people died and at least 173 were injured in such attacks in 32 regions of Russia last year,” it said.

Federal Migration Service head Konstantin Romodanovsky admitted the problem of xenophobia and ethnic intolerance in Russia on December 9, 2013. “Alas, manifestations of intolerance and xenophobia are growing in number, which leads to the exacerbation of inter-ethnic confrontations,” he said.

Sova is an independent monitor of xenophobia in Russia.

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