Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2009
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SOVA CENTER FOR INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2009 A collection of annual reports by the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis Moscow April 2010 UDC 323.1(470+571)(082.1)”2009” BBC����.094�43+��.3(2���)�54�43 X44 X44 Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2009: A collection of annual reports by the SOVA Center for Information and Analy- Table of Contents sis; [Verkhovsky Alexander� Kozhevnikova Galina� Sibireva Olga; translation - I. Savelieva] – М.: SOVA Center� 2010. – 131 pp.: tables (Academic publication). Galina Kozhevnikova ISBN 978-5-98418-018-4 Under the sign of political terror: Radical nationalism This collection of reports summarizes all the major areas of work addressed by the SOVA and efforts to counteractit in 2009 ................................................................5 Center for Information and Analysis in 2009� in a similar fashion to the collection of reports Summary ............................................................................................ 5 issued a year ago. There are three reports on themes which have become traditional for the SOVA Manifestations of radical nationalism ................................................... 7 Center in this collection: The first report addresses radical nationalism and hate crime� Violence ....................................................................................... 7 and the efforts of government and society to combat these phenomena. The second report addresses problems relating to freedom of conscience in contemporary Russia. The third Public activity of ultra-right groups ............................................. 15 report addresses the misuse and abuse of ‘anti-extremism’ measures. The appendix provides details about hate crimes and the prosecution of such crimes. Xenophobic propaganda and elections ........................................ 23 All data were compiled at the beginning of April 2010. The expansion of nationalism into public life .............................. 25 This translation of the published Russian text uses a modified Library of Congress system of transliteration for names and publications� except where there is an established Counteraction to radical nationalism ................................................. 30 alternative spelling (e.g. Yeltsin� not El’tsin� Yabloko� not Iabloko). Criminal proceedings ................................................................. 30 This collection was compiled and published with the support Civil and administrative proceedings ........................................... 38 of the National Endowment for Democracy. The federal list of extremist materials .......................................... 39 We also used support from Open Society Institute (OSI)� UK Bilateral Project Programme� Henry M. Jackson Foundation� etc. Alexander Verkhovsky, Olga Sibireva The SOVA Center website, which includes publications and news, Freedom of conscience in Russia in 2009: can be found at http://sova-center.ru Restrictions and challenges ....................................................................... 44 Translation - I. Savelieva Summary .......................................................................................... 44 Editing and copyediting – S. Rock Legal regulations concerning religious organizations .......................... 47 Design� cover design – N. Vinnik Layout – М. Konkova Problems relating to places of worship ................................................ 50 Problems with the construction of religious buildings .................. 50 1 П�дпи�ан� в печать 28.04.2010. Ф�рмат �0х84 /1�. Гарнитура Тайм�. Печать �ф�етна�. Бумага �ф�етна�. Печ. л. 8�3. Уч.изд. л. ��2. Тираж 300. Заказ . Problems relating to existing religious buildings .......................... 52 �ОО Центр «С�ва». Адре� дл� пи�ем: 103982� М��ква� Лучник�в пер.� д.4� п�д.3� к.2. ISBNТелеф598418018-�н/фак�: (495) 730-34-13.9 E-mail: [email protected]. Веб-�айт: http://sova-center.ru Positive resolution of conflicts concerning religious buildings ...... 53 Тип�графи� ����ельх�закадемии. 115598� М��ква� ул. Яг�дна�� 12. Favors granted by the government to certain religious organizations ... 54 ISBN 978-5-98418-018-4 Other examples of discrimination and undue interference .................. 58 © Authors� 2010 – report texts ISBN 598418018-9 © Vinnik N.V.� 2008 – design The liquidation of religious organizations ................................... 58 9 785984 18018 4 9 785984 18018 4 Discrimination against ‘non-traditional’ religious organizations.. �0 Galina Kozhevnikova The situation concerning foreign clergy ...................................... �2 Other cases of discrimination and undue interference ................. �3 Religion in the military and other uniformed forces ............................ �4 Under the sign of political terror: Religion and secular education .......................................................... �5 Radical nationalism Insufficient protection against defamation and attacks ....................... �8 Measures against the incitement of religious hatred ............................ 71 and efforts to counteract it in 2009 Alexander Verkhovsky Inappropriate enforcement of anti-extremist legislation in Russia in 2009 ..............................................................................73 Summary Preface .............................................................................................. 73 2009 was a year of significant change in terms of activities of radical na- Summary .......................................................................................... 77 tionalists and efforts to counteract manifestations of racism and xenophobia in The regulatory framework of anti-extremism ...................................... 78 the country. Persecution of political and social groups ........................................... 83 The main outcome of 2009 was a clear reduction in the number of victims Persecution of political groups .................................................... 83 of racist and neo-Nazi motivated violence for the first time in the six years that Unjust bans of organizations and the consequences thereof ......... 88 SOVA Center has been observing this phenomenon. To some extent� credit should go to the law enforcement agencies who suppressed the largest and most The problematic term ‘social group’ ........................................... 91 aggressive ultra-right groups in the Moscow region in the second half of 2008 and Pressure on human rights activists .............................................. 93 in 2009. However� despite all efforts� xenophobic violence remains alarming in its Limitation of freedom of conscience .................................................. 9� scope and extends over most Russian regions� affecting hundreds of people. Persecution of Muslim groups .................................................... 9� 2009 saw an unprecedented growth in the activity of racist vandals. Vandal- ism in 2009 was primarily ideological� rather than (anti-)religious in nature. Persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses ............................................. 98 Ultra-right groups are actively and deliberately switching to anti-state ter- Persecution of Falun Dafa followers ...........................................101 rorism. Their objectives are to destabilize the government� to increase public Other cases of limitation of freedom of conscience .....................103 distrust of the government� and to paralyze civil society organizations working Harassment of the media ..................................................................104 to counteract racism and xenophobia. Apologists of ultra-right terror see their ultimate goal as provoking ‘a nationalist revolution’ and establishing a neo-Nazi Failed attempts to close newspapers ...........................................104 regime in Russia. Warnings to media and excessive vigilance .................................10� The public activity of ultra-right groups changed noticeably in 2009. They Problems with law enforcement on the internet .........................108 increasingly abandon their explicit racist propaganda in favor of pro-social Concluding notes .............................................................................110 rhetoric and mimic official patriotic propaganda with slogans about fighting alcoholism and promoting sports and athletics� while explicitly racist propaganda Appendix. Crime and Punishment Statistics .............................................114 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 seven Russian regions� and data of regional human rights monitoring conducted by the Moscow Helsinki Group’s network. ����������������������������������������������������������������������Xenophobia� Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2009 G. Kozhevnikova.��������������������������������������� �������������������������������������Under the sign of political terror... 7 is often restricted to private events and discussions. New activists are recruited in terms of prosecution for participation in an extremist organization. Some through symbolic actions (such as poster campaigns) and subcultural activities of the legal issues hindering the implementation of the ban on the distribution (particularly concerts). of extremist