CE Urges Russia to Fight Racism More Actively

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) believes Russia makes insufficient efforts to fight xenophobia, racial hatred and national minority discrimination. The CE expert body's Third Report on Russia, made public in May 2006, notes some progress in solving the issue in question.



At that it underscores the need to take urgent steps to solve the issue. The document says that the recommendations of the ECRI previous report of November 2001 «either were not or were partially implemented.»



According to the data the authors of the report possess, the number of anti-Semitic acts, as well as those of racism and intolerance has increased in the country. The violence issuing from racism and use of xenophobia phrases in politics have increased.



«Chechens and other natives of the Caucasus, Gipsies, Meskheti Turks, CIS citizens, Africans, Asians, as well as small religious groups like Jews fall victims of racially motivated attacks and calls,» the document stresses. Criminal Code provisions, aimed at fighting racism often remain unused, as racial motives of crimes are not always taken into account.



Ethnic Armenian Artur Sardaryan, 19, was killed in Moscow the other day. He was attacked in a Moscow electric train near Klyazma station on May 25. However, it was known about the incident only now. Two persons, who attacked him, stabbed him with a knife in his neck from behind, cutting carotid artery, then stabbed 5 times in his chest in the heart area. Then they stopped the train by means of the emergency brake and fled. In the words of witnesses, those attacking were crying out "Long live Russia!" April 22 skinheads had slaughtered another Armenian Vigen Abrahamyans in the vestibule of Pushkinskaya metro station.