SoVA CENTER FoR INFoRMATIoN AND ANALYSIS Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2014 A collection of annual reports by the SoVA Center for Information and Analysis Moscow 2015 UDC 323.1(470+571)(082.1)”2014” Содержание BBC 66.094я43+66.3(2Рос),54я43 X44 X44 Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2014: Vera Alperovich, Natalia Yudina A collection of annual reports by the SoVA Center for Information and Analysis; Calm Before the Storm? Xenophobia and Radical Nationalism in Russia, [Alperovich Vera, Sibireva Olga, Kravchenko Maria, Yudina Natalia / Ed. by and Efforts to Counteract Them in 2014 ..................................................... 5 Verkhovsky Alexander] – М.: SOVA Center, 2015. – 164 pp.: tables Summary ............................................................................................. 5 ISBN 978-5-98418-036-8 Criminal Manifestations of Racism and Xenophobia ............................. 8 Systematic Racist and Neo-Nazi Violence ................................8 This collection of reports summarizes all the major areas of work addressed by the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis in 2014, in a similar fashion to collections in previous years. Vandalism .................................................................................. 14 There are three reports on themes which have become traditional for the SOVA Public Activity of Ultra-Right Radicals ............................................... 15 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 Position on the “Ukrainian Question” ........................................ 15 addresses problems relating to freedom of conscience in contemporary Russia. The third report addresses the misuse and abuse of ‘anti-extremism’ measures. The reports are Consequences of These Differences updated versions of original texts on the SOVA Center website. for Nationalist Organizations ..................................................... 18 The appendix provides details about hate crimes and the prosecution of such crimes. All data were compiled at March 7, 2015. Ultra-Right Public Actions ......................................................... 23 This collection was compiled and published with the support “Spin” on Criminal Incidents..................................................... 33 of the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR). Other Activity by the Ultra Right ............................................... 35 We are also grateful for support from the Open Society Foundation (OSF), Norwegian Helsinki Participation of the Ultra Right Committee, and for the state support grants distributed by the Institute of Civil Dignity Move- in the Hostilities in Ukraine ................................................................ 38 ment per Decree no. 11-rp of the President of the Russian Federation, issued Counter-action to Radical Nationalism and Xenophobia .................... 41 on 17 January 2014. Public Initiatives ........................................................................ 41 Criminal Prosecution ................................................................ 42 The SOVA Center website, which includes publications and news, can be found at http://sova-center.ru The Federal List of Extremist Materials ..................................... 58 Banning Organizations as Extremist ........................................... 59 Design, cover design – N. Vinnik Other Administrative Measures .................................................. 60 Layout – М. Konkova Подписано в печать 17 июня 2015 г. Формат 60х841/ Гарнитура Таймс 16 Olga Sibireva Печать офсетная. Бумага офсетная. Уч.-изд. л. 9,5. Тираж – 150 экз. Заказ № ......... РОО Центр «Сова». Адрес для писем: 103982, Москва, Лучников пер., д.4, под.3, к.2. Freedom of Conscience in Russia: Restrictions and Challenges in 2014 ..... 67 Телефон/факс:(495) 517-92-30. E-mail: [email protected]. Веб-сайт: http://sova-center.ru Типография Россельхозакадемии. 115598, Москва, ул. Ягодная, 12. Summary ........................................................................................... 67 Regulations ........................................................................................ 68 ISBN 978-5-98418-036-8 © Authors, 2015– report texts Federal Legislation ..................................................................... 68 © Vinnik N.V., 2015– design Regional Initiatives .................................................................... 69 9 785984 180368 Legislative Initiatives not (Yet) Implemented .............................. 70 Vera Alperovich, Natalia Yudina Problems Relating to Places of Worship ...............................................71 Problems with the Construction of Religious Buildings ................71 Problems with Religious Buildings Already in Use .......................74 State Patronage ...................................................................................75 Calm Before the Storm? Protecting Religious Feelings ...............................................................78 Xenophobia and Radical Nationalism Disbandment of Religious Organizations and Denial of Registration ...................................................................82 in Russia, and Efforts to Discrimination against Religious Organizations and Citizens based on Counteract Them in 2014 Their Attitude to Religious Belief .........................................................84 Insufficient Protection against Defamation and Attacks .......................90 Summary Maria Kravchenko Since the beginning of 2014, the political and militant activity of Russian Inappropriate enforcement of nationalists, along with life of Russia in general, revolved around the events anti-ex in Ukraine – the “Maidan,” and then the war. Curtailing of the anti-migrant mist legislation in Russia in 2014 ..................................................................93 campaign in late 2013 became another important factor for the nationalists. Summary ............................................................................................93 The shift of attention toward Ukraine has only reinforced the sharp decline in Creation of Regulatory Acts .................................................................94 popularity of the anti-migrant theme – always the principal nationalist issue. Principal Targets of Persecution ........................................................ 100 Nationalists tried to compensate for lack of demand for their anti-migrant rhetoric by addressing the newly relevant Ukraine-related issues, but failed, The Internet and Anti-Extremism ............................................. 100 because of a deep split on this subject in the Russian ultra-right movement. Political and Civic Activists ...................................................... 104 There were many possible dividing lines related to one’s position regarding the Religious Groups ...................................................................... 113 “Maidan,” Ukrainian nationalists, annexation of Crimea, the DNR and LNR, Incidental Victims of Inappropriate Anti-Extremism ................. 120 and Russia’s more active participation in the war. Yesterday’s allies often found themselves on the opposite sides. As a result, many right-wing associations A Bit of Statistics ............................................................................... 122 have lost some of their activists; entire movements abandoned their long-time coalitions; organizations, which had collaborated for years, turned against each Appendix. Crime and punishment statistics .............................................. 126 other. The level of passions, typical for a war, led to mutual accusations (of “pro- Bandera position,” “serving the interests of the Kremlin,” or something else), which tended to be harsher than usual. Such a serious crisis in the movement, complete prevalence of the Ukrai- nian theme in the media, and, possibly, the official “anti-fascist” rhetoric (also related to Ukraine) had an extremely negative impact on all kinds of traditional far-right activities: actions “against ethnic crime” and other ral- lies fell in number, the raiding activity became less regular and prominent, the “Kondopoga technology” was practically abandoned, and the “Russian March” was a failure. 6 Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2014 Vera Alperovich, Natalia Yudina. Calm Before the Storm? 7 The Russian nationalist movement “has lost its voice.” The nationalists, who The number of sentences for propaganda was, traditionally, several times support the “Russian Spring,” are merely repeating lines that can also be heard on greater than all the other convictions. As usual, the offenders were found primarily national television, while those who oppose it are afraid to speak loudly enough, among social network users and prosecuted for sharing various xenophobic materi- and are uncertain how to act when, contrary to their usual self-image, they are not als; however, some well-known right-wing radicals, such as Dmitry “Beshenyi” representing the majority. (Mad) Yevtushenko, Maxim “Tesak” (the Hatchet) Martsinkevich and others, The views of opponents of the “Russian Spring” are much more convincingly were convicted as well. While penalties for propaganda are usually quite adequate and actively expressed by