News Releases

We offer to your attention a summary of the case of Nikita Tikhoniov and Eygenia Khasis who have been arrested as suspects for the murder of Stanislav Markelov and Anastasia Baburova.

In February, 2010, at least 26 people, including 4 fatalities, became victims of racist and neo-Nazi attacks. (In February, 2009, at least 26 people, including 2 fatalities, became victims.)

In January, 2010, not less than 16 people, including 3 fatalities, became victims of racist and neo-Nazi attacks. ( In January, 2009, not less than 55 people, including 15 fatalities, became victims.)

On January 27, 2010, the SOVA Center released the annual report on 2009 "Under the Sign of Political Terror: Radical Nationalism in Russia and Counteracting It in 2009". We publish our press release. The English version of the report will be available in February.

In December 2009, Sova center registered at least four murdered and six injured in racist and neo-Nazo motivated violence acts. Besides Moscow and St. Petersburg, an attack took place in Petrozavodsk. (In December 2008, at least four were murdered and at least 34 injured.)

In the end of November 2009, the Russian Ministry of Justice has revised the Federal List of Extremist Materials. As a result, one of the items was removed from the list for the first time in more than two years of the list's history. Item 413, a leaflet against Krishnaists that was spread in Khabarovsk by the members of the pro-Kremlin Young Guard of United Russia (YGUR) party, is no longer extremist.

In November, 2009, according to our data, not less than 10 people, including 2 fatalities, became victims of neo-Nazi and racist motivated violence. Beside Moscow, the incident took place in Omsk, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and St. Petersburg. The most high profile murders, in all probability committed with a hate motive, were the ones on the antifascist Ivan Khutorskoj (Kostolom) and the Orthodox priest Daniil Sysoev. In comparison, in November, 2008, 6 people were murdered and not less than 28 injured.

In October, 2009, not less than 12 people, including a fatality, became victims of racist and neo-nazi motivated violence in Russia. Besides Moscow, such incidents took place in Kirov and Sverdlovsk regions. In October, 2008, 7 people were murdered and not less than 20 more injured.

On the 29th of October the text of :Concluding observations of the UN Human Rights Committee on Russia's last periodical report on International covenant on civil and political rights; was opened for public.

In September, 2009, in Russia, not less than 23 people, including 6 fatalities, became victims of racist and neo-nazi motivated violence. Beside Moscow and St. Petersburg, such attacks took place in Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Orel and Samara. In September, 2008, 7 people were murdered and not less than 47 more injured.