The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) and the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG) condemn the ethnically motivated riots that occurred in the city of Kondopoga in the Russian Republic of Karelia during the weekend and call for prompt and effective measures to bring to justice those who incited and participated in the violence.

About 2000 people gathered in the center of Kondopoga on Saturday shouting anti-Caucasian slogans and demanding radical measures to restore order in the city. Nationalist activists who were present at the meeting, including members of the Movement against Illegal Immigration, helped agitate the crowd. On both Friday and Sunday angry mobs also stormed through the city, attacking, robbing and throwing Molotov cocktails at Caucasian-owned businesses. Out of fear of being targeted, most residents of Caucasian origin reportedly fled the city

The protests ensued after a fight between a group of people from the Caucasus and a group of ethnic Russians, which took place outside a local restaurant in the night of 29-30 August. Four people died as a result of the fight and several others were seriously injured. Nationalist activists apparently used this incident to stir sentiments against people from the Caucasus region and to mobilize local youth supporting nationalist ideas.

Police reportedly failed to take appropriate and proportionate measures to stem the violence at an early stage and the riots only subsided after special police troops began arresting participants, allegedly with the use of abusive tactics. A total of at least 109 people were arrested and out of these 25 were ordered to be held in administrative detention for 15 days.

Intolerance and hostility against people from the Caucasus are widespread in Russia and members of this group are among the most frequent victims of racist attacks. There are therefore well-founded fears that the violence in Kondopoga could encourage similar events elsewhere unless the Russian authorities take resolute action to address it.

The IHF and the MHG call on the Russian authorities to publicly speak out against the riots in Kondopoga, making clear that all forms of ethnical hatred and violence are unacceptable. The authorities should ensure that the recent events in the city are investigated in a prompt, thorough and impartial manner and that all of those guilty of ethnically motivated agitation and violence are adequately prosecuted and punished. The authorities should also ensure that all allegations of human rights violations committed by law enforcement officials during the arrest of rioters are investigated and that any cases of abuse are prosecuted.

For more information:
Henriette Schroeder, IHF Press Officer (Vienna), +43-1-408 88 22, +43-676-725 4829
Irina Sergeeva, MHG Project Coordinator (Moscow), +7-495-207 0769