SOVA Center intervention for the roundtable "Current Trends and Challenges in the OSCE Region"

We publish the SOVA Center's representative's report at the roundtable on combating anti-Semitism: :Current Trends and Challenges in the OSCE Region;, which took place on 17 March, 2009, in Vienna.

Manifestations of Anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is an ideological foundation of numerous radical nationalist groups in Russia; however, it is not a predominant manifestation of xenophobia.

In particular, Jews are rarely targeted by violence directly. Thus, according to SOVA Center's monitoring, three Jews were violently assaulted out of racist motives in 2004, four in 2005, and four in 2006. In 2006, nine more people were injured during an attack against a synagogue in Moscow, but it should be regarded as a one-off incident, rather than part of a trend. The peak of violence against Jews occurred in 2007, when at least 13 people were injured in 9 incidents. The outburst of violent anti-Semitism had occurred without an apparent reason and aferwards the situation returned, also in a manner we cannot explain, to what we usually observe. In 2008 five Jews or workers of Jewish religious organizations were attacked out of racist motives.

Anti-Semitic vandalism is a predominant type of hate-motivated vandalism in Russia. On a positive note, we have been observing a drop in the number and proportion of anti-Semitic attacks for a second consecutive year. Thus, in 2006 we registered 36 acts of vandalism with explicit anti-Semitic content, including attacks against Jewish buildings and facilities, 30 in 2007, and 24 in 2008. There was no corresponding drop in the overall rates of vandalism motivated by racial and religious hatred in Russia over the same period (on average, between 80 and 90 incidents are reported each year).

Since 19 members of the Russian parliament signed an open letter in early 2005 urging closure of all Jewish organizations in Russia, anti-Semitism has hardly appeared in the public political discourse. Some of the 19 MPs have since been reelected to the new Duma from CPRF and the Fair Russia Party, but they have not made any public statements of anti-Semitic nature in recent years. In the 2007 and 2008 federal election campaigns, CPRF and LDPR used anti-Semitic rhetoric, but in a limited way.

No scandalous anti-Semitic publications have appeared in mainstream media in the past three years. However, publishers producing anti-Semitic literature have consistently participated in the annual International Book Fair in Moscow.

Since the 1990ies, all nationalist organizations with any visibility in Russia were explicitly anti-Semitic. Most such organizations continue to be anti-Semitic today. Radical groups are very active in their anti-Semitic propaganda. In late 2007 and early 2008, the ultra-right engaged in a lively discussion of Dmitry Medvedev's allegedly Jewish origins.

Since 2002, the Movement against Illegal Immigration (DPNI) emerged and gained popularity in Russia. Their propaganda was directed against immigrants and did not involve anti-Semitism. However, since the second half of 2006, DPNI has increasingly used anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Counteraction to anti-Semitism

Counteraction to anti-Semitism has substantially improved in Russia over the past few years. While anti-Semitic propaganda was hardly ever punished between 2004 and 2006, anti-Semitism has become one of the most prosecuted types of hate speech by 2007 - 2008.

We are not always aware of the specific materials which cause their authors to be charged under art. 282 of the Criminal Code (relating to hate speech). But we can state with certainty that in 2007 and 2008 at least 22 of the 70 convictions under this article involved charges of anti-Semitism. Specifically, it was for anti-Semitic slogans that sports fans faced criminal charges in 2008 for the first time in Russia (no fans had been punished for racist slogans before). Moreover, in 2008 the trial of a group charged with assault against the leaders of a Jewish community in Ivanovo in 2007 ended in convictions.

Over a period of several years, a few radical groups whose ideology was based on anti-Semitic myths were banned in Russia. Between 2006 and 2008, alone, these included two neo-pagan groups (in Krasnodar and Astrakhan) and the Ryazan chapter of the Russian National Unity. By Russian law, activists may be prosecuted for continuing a group's operation after it has been banned. Currently in Omsk, a person faces trial for continuing to run a banned organization.

Since 2007, the Russian authorities have published and updated a list of materials legally banned as extremist. Dissemination of such materials is prohibited in Russia. By the end of February 2009, the list contained 318 titles, of which 15% were anti-Semitic materials.

Admittedly, many offenders continue to get away with probational sentences without additional punishment, as in nine of the 22 cases mentioned above. We are convinced that probational punishment is too mild and cannot stop a hardcore racist, including an anti-Semitist. Of course, imprisonment is an extremely severe punishment for hate speech, but the Russian law provides for other types of penalties, such as a fine or restriction of professional occupation.

Many of the high-profile ultra-right ideologists actively promote anti-Semitism yet go unpunished. Many of them are never prosecuted, while some others manage to delay the proceedings and avoid punishment. The case of former Russian Minister of the Press Boris Mironov was closed in 2008 after the statute of limitations expired.

Recommendations

To OSCE:
Step up the translation into OSCE's official languages and publication of guidelines for NGOs on counteraction to hate crimes (including anti-Semitism)

To OSCE Members:
Countries with legislation punishing for incitement to hatred should focus on prosecuting top ideologists of anti-Semitic groups and those offenders who systematically engage in hate propaganda. Countries should avoid prosecuting one-off and minor hate offenses (such as one-off posts on web forums etc.)

To the civil society:
Respond publicly to all manifestations of anti-Semitic prejudice from whatever source. Particular attention should be paid not only to marginal anti-Semitic groups, but to statements made by people in positions of authority.