SOVA Center fOr InfOrmAtion And AnAlySIS Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2011 A collection of annual reports by the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis moscow may 2012 UDC 323.1(470+571)(082.1)”2011” Contents BBC 66.094я43+66.3(2Рос),54я43 X44 Xenophobia, freedom of Conscience and Anti-extremism in russia in 2011: A collection of annual reports by the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis; [Alperovich Vera, Sibireva Olga, Verkhovsky Alexander, Yudina Natalia] – М.: SOVA Center, 2012. – 151 pp.: tables (Academic publication) Vera Alperovich, Alexander Verkhovsky, Natalia Yudina Between Manezhnaya and Bolotnaya: Xenophobia and radical ISBN 978-5-98418-024-5 nationalism in Russia, and efforts to counteract them in 2011 ........................5 This collection of reports summarizes all the major areas of work addressed by the Summary ...............................................................................................5 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis in 2010, in a similar fashion to collections in previous years. Criminal manifestations of racism and xenophobia .................................7 There are three reports on themes which have become traditional for the SOVA Systematic racist and neo-nazi violence ....................................... 7 Center in this collection: The first report addresses radical nationalism and hate crime, and the efforts of government and society to combat these phenomena. The second report Anti-State terrorist activities ...................................................... 10 addresses problems relating to freedom of conscience in contemporary Russia. The third Threats to public officials and civic activists, report addresses the misuse and abuse of ‘anti-extremism’ measures. The reports are updated versions of original texts on the SOVA Center website. punishing “traitors” ................................................................... 11 The appendix provides details about hate crimes and the prosecution of such crimes. All data were compiled at the end of March 2012. Violence motivated by religion .................................................... 12 This translation of the published Russian text uses a modified Library of Congress Grassroots xenophobic violence and xenophobia in the army ..... 12 system of transliteration for names and publications, except where there is an established alternative spelling (e.g. Yeltsin, not El’tsin, Yabloko, not Iabloko). Vandalism .................................................................................. 13 This collection was compiled and published with the support Public activity of ultra-right radicals .....................................................15 of the National Endowment for Democracy. Unification tendencies in the ultra-right wing ............................. 15 We are also grateful for support from the Open Society Institute (OSI), Norwegian Helsinki Contacts with “inside-the-system” parties .................................. 20 Committee and for the state support grant per Decree no. 127 of the President of the Russian Ultra-right rallies and marches .................................................. 24 Federation, issued on 2 March 2011 Participation in the December protests ...................................... 29 The SOVA Center website, which includes publications and news, Counter-action to radical nationalism and xenophobia ........................35 can be found at http://sova-center.ru Public initiatives ........................................................................ 35 Design, cover design – N. Vinnik Creation and clarification of regulatory acts ...................................... 37 Layout – М. Konkova Criminal prosecution for violence ............................................... 41 Подписано в печать 12 мая 2012 г. Формат 60х841/ Гарнитура Таймс 16 Criminal prosecution for vandalism ............................................ 46 Печать офсетная. Бумага офсетная. Уч.-изд. л. 8,7. Тираж – 300 экз. Заказ № ......... РОО Центр «Сова». Адрес для писем: 101000, Москва, Лучников пер., д.4, под.3, к.2. Criminal prosecution for propaganda ......................................... 48 Телефон/факс: (495) 517-92-30. E-mail: [email protected]. Веб-сайт: http://sova-center.ru Типография Россельхозакадемии. 115598, Москва, ул. Ягодная, 12. Criminal prosecution of extremist groups and banned organizations ........................................................... 53 ISBN 978-5-98418-024-5 The Federal list of extremist materials ........................................ 55 © Authors, 2012 – report texts © Vinnik N.V., 2012 – design The banning of organizations ..................................................... 57 Other administrative measures .................................................... 59 Vera Alperovich, Alexander Verkhovsky, Natalia Yudina Olga Sibireva Freedom of conscience in Russia: Restrictions and challenges in 2011 ....... 62 Summary .............................................................................................62 Between Manezhnaya and Bolotnaya: Legal regulations concerning religious organizations ............................64 Problems relating to places of worship ..................................................66 Xenophobia and radical nationalism in Russia, Problems with the construction of religious buildings .................. 66 and efforts to counteract them in 2011 Problems relating to existing religious buildings ......................... 69 Preferential treatment accorded certain religious organizations by the authorities ............................................................................71 Summary Other examples of discrimination and unwarranted interference ...........77 The liquidation of religious organizations This report1 was prepared during the period of continuing protests following and denial of registration ........................................................... 77 the parliamentary elections of December 4, 2011, and in anticipation of the Discrimination against ‘non-traditional’ religious organizations . 79 presidential elections of March 4, 2012. The Russian nationalist movement, which prior to late 2011 had perceived itself as the most active political force in Other cases ................................................................................ 82 the country, has not yet become a truly meaningful component of the protest Insufficient protection from defamation and attacks .............................83 movement. Nevertheless, its role in the current events is sufficiently noticeable to deserve our most thorough examination. In this report we attempt to analyze Alexander Verkhovsky the developments that unfolded within the right-wing radical milieu in the time Inappropriate enforcement period between December 2010 (the Manezhnaya Square events in Moscow) of anti-extremist legislation in Russia in 2011 ..........................................86 and December 2011 (the post-election opposition rallies). On the one hand, the political weight of right-wing radical organizations Summary .............................................................................................86 has increased as they entered public discourse. They gained new opportunities Creation of regulatory acts. Positive developments ................................88 for cooperation with the “inside-the-system” parties, and took an active, if not Major trends in 2011 .............................................................................94 completely legitimate, part in the December protests. In 2011 publicly active “Excessive vigilance” ................................................................. 95 nationalists separated into two distinct coalitions: a radical, partially neo-Nazi The Internet and anti-extremism ................................................ 98 movement “the Russians” (Russkie) and the Russian Platform (Russkaya Incidental victims of inappropriate anti-extremism ...................103 Platforma, RP), a relatively moderate group, which, nevertheless, have never “E”-Centers .............................................................................106 openly disavowed violence. Principal targets of persecution .......................................................... 108 On the other hand the right-wing radicals have not put any of these Religious groups .......................................................................108 achievements to practical use for strengthening their own movement. There are no indications that they succeeded in growing their social base or in finding comrades- Political and civic activists ........................................................115 in-arms among other opposition activists to any measurable extent. So far, despite Media topics .............................................................................121 the Russian society’s growing demand for the ethno-nationalist ideology, the A bit of statistics ................................................................................. 123 1 In the preparation of this report, we used the daily monitoring conducted by the SOVA Center and our regional monitoring of ultra-right activity in several regions of Russia. Crime and punishment statistics .............................................................. 126 Monitoring was funded by the state support grants per Decree no. 127 of the President of the Russian Federation, issued on 2 March 2011. 6 Xenophobia, Freedom