July, 2009. Monthly Summary

In July, 2009, according to our data, not less than 6 people became victims of racist and neo-Nazi motivated violence in Russia (in July, 2008, 3 people were murdered and 25 were injured). In all, from the beginning of 2009, not less than 36 people died and not less than 171 were injured as a result of such attacks (in January-July, 2008, not less than 371 people became victims, including 73 fatalities).

In all, from the beginning of the year, racist violent incidents took place in 29 Russian regions.

In July, not less than 51 incidents of hate motivated vandalism took place, including 22 ideologically motivated acts (graffiti painted on the monuments of Great Patriotic War, neo-Nazi graffiti); 14 acts against Jewish objects; 8 acts against Orthodox Church objects; 2 acts against Muslim objects; 2 acts against Armenian objects; one act against each of Catholic, protestant and other religions' objects.

The Federal List of Extremist Materials was enlarged on July, 6, 21 and 28. Paragraphs 387-403 were included, and 10 of them are not possible to identify. In all, the quality of the List is still too low. Court decisions on 5 of the materials were already set aside, 12 materials were added to the List twice, and one material - three times.

In July, there were not less than 2 guilty verdicts against 2 people for violent hate crimes (in Novgorod region and Voronezh). In all, from the beginning of the year, there were 24 guilty verdicts against 61 people, 9 of them got suspended sentences and one was sentenced to compulsory psychotherapy.

In July, there were 5 verdicts for xenophobic propaganda (in Khabarovsk, Arkhangelsk, Birobidzhan and Yekaterinburg) against 8 people, including 6 people with suspended sentences. In all, from the beginning of the year, there were 22 verdicts for hate propaganda (article 282 of the Criminal Code) against 32 people (18 people with suspended sentences).

The most high profile events in the field of excessive and unfounded sanctions against extremism were the following. First, it was the campaign against Jehovah Witnesses in Rostov region, where in several districts local organizations got anti-extremist warnings, an organization in Taganrog is being closed because of anti-extremist warnings, and in Salsk some of the materials of Jehovah Witnesses can be doomed as extremist. Second was the case of a human rights defender from Perm Igor Averkiev: charges were brought against him under article 280 of the Criminal Code (calls to extremist activities) for his article "If We Leave the Caucasus We Would Become More Free and Strong". Besides, the prosecution wants the article to be doomed as extremist.