Russia

Russia Acquits Four Of African's Killing

African students in St. Petersburg demonstrating against racist crime in April (RFE/RL) July 26, 2006 -- A court in St. Petersburg has acquitted four people on trial for the murder of a Congolese student in September 2005.

Judge Natalya Samsonova said late on July 25 that the jury was not convinced the accused had carried out the murder or that the crime was motivated by ethnic hatred.


This week Russia's Interior Ministry announced that crimes against foreigners nationally have risen by 33 percent compared to the same period last year.


(AFP)

Epidemic Of Hate

Epidemic Of Hate

Yusuf Sultonov, whose 9-year-old daughter was beaten and stabbed to death in St. Petersburg on February 9, 2004 (TASS)

EXTREMISM ASCENDANT: More than half of Russians have xenophobic views, according to a report published in August 2005. In the report, rights groups say that -- despite progress in some areas -- racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism remain rife in Russia. But what worries watchdogs most are recent moves by nationalist-patriotic movements to form paramilitary groups....(more)


RELATED ARTICLES

A Timeline Of Recent Racial Incidents

Russian Ombudsman Condemns Hate Crimes

Hate Crime Trial Highlights Mounting Racism

Minister Says Russia Can't Stop Xenophobia Alone

For African Students In Russia, Affordable Education Comes At A Price


ARCHIVE

To view an archive of all of RFE/RL's coverage of Russia, click here.



SUBSCRIBE

For a regular review of civil-society developments throughout RFE/RL's broadcast region, subscribe to "RFE/RL (Un)Civil Societies."


RFE/RL IN RUSSIAN: Visit RFE/RL's Russian-language website, featuring news, analysis, features, streaming audio, and more in Russian, courtesy of RFE/RL's Russian Service.