Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Annual Reports Anti-Extremism by SOVA Center for Information in Russia in 2020 and Analysis Moscow, 2021 A collection of annual reports Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2020 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis Moscow, 2021 UDC 323.1(470+571)(082.1)«2020» ББК 66.094я43+66.3(2Рос),54я43 X44 Xenophobia, Freedom of Conscience and Anti-Extremism in Russia in 2020: A collection of annual reports by the SOVA Center for Information and Analysis [Kravchenko Maria, Sibireva Olga, Yudina Natalia / Ed. by Verkhovsky Alexander] – Moscow: SOVA Center, 2021. – 134 pp.: tables, graphs ISBN 978-5-98418-052-8 This collection of reports provides a summary of all the major areas of work carried out by SOVA Center for Information and Analysis in 2020. As is customary, we present annual reports on challenges in the realization of the rights to freedom of conscience and the principle of state secularism, and on overuse and misuse of anti-extremism laws. Since 2017, instead of a single, large report on radical nationalism, hate crimes, and the efforts by the state and the society to counteract these phenomena, this collection comprises two reports: the first one concerns hate crimes and counteraction to them, the second one covers other aspects of anti-extremism policies. The reports in this collection are updated versions of the original reports published on the SOVA Center’s website. The appendix provides details and statistics on the hate crimes and the prosecution of “extremist crimes”. All data were compiled on February 19, 2021. This collection was prepared and published with the support of the European Union, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. SOVA Center expresses its gratitude to all its donors and admits the sole responsibility for the content of the reports. On December 30, 2016, the Ministry of Justice declared SOVA Center “a non-profit organiza- tion performing the functions of a foreign agent”. We disagree with this decision and have filed an appeal against it. Visit the SOVA Center’s website at http: //sova-center.ru for our publications and news. Visit the SOVA Center’s website at http: //sova-center.ru for our publications and news. © Authors, 2021 – report texts Contents Natalia Yudina ”Potius sero, quam nunquam”: Hate Crimes and Counteraction to Them in Russia in 2020 .................................................................................................................................. 5 Summary ..........................................................................................................................................................................5 Systematic Racist and Neo-Nazi Violence ..............................................................................................6 Attacks Against “Ethnic Outsiders” .........................................................................................................8 Attacks against the LGBT............................................................................................................................. 12 Attacks against Ideological Opponents ............................................................................................. 12 Other Attacks ...................................................................................................................................................... 13 Crimes against Property ......................................................................................................................................13 Criminal Prosecution for Violence ..............................................................................................................16 Criminal Prosecution for Crimes against Property ............................................................................19 Natalia Yudina Anti-extremism in Quarantine: The State against the Incitement of Hatred and the Political Participation of Nationalists in Russia in 2020 ......................................... 20 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................20 Criminal Prosecution ...........................................................................................................................................22 For Public Statements ....................................................................................................................................22 For Participation in Extremist and Banned Groups and Organizations ......................... 31 Federal List of Extremist Materials .............................................................................................................34 The Banning of Organizations as Extremist .........................................................................................38 Prosecution for Administrative Offences ..............................................................................................42 Maria Kravchenko Inappropriate Enforcement of Anti-Extremist Legislation in Russia in 2020 ...............47 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................................47 Lawmaking ..................................................................................................................................................................48 Countering Extremism .................................................................................................................................. 49 “Fight against Nazism” ................................................................................................................................... 51 Regulating the Internet .................................................................................................................................53 “Foreign Agents” Legislation..................................................................................................................... 56 The Practice of the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee ....................................................................................................58 Principal Targets of Persecution ...................................................................................................................60 Ideological Opponents of the Regime...............................................................................................60 Sanctions for Calls for Extremist Activity and Incitement to Hatred .......................61 Sanctions for Incitement to Separatism ......................................................................................64 Sanctions for “Justification of Terrorism” ....................................................................................65 Other Sanctions for Anti-Government Statements ............................................................67 Prosecutions for Anti-Government Group Initiatives ........................................................68 Banning Organizations for Extremism ..........................................................................................70 Side Effects of the Fight for Tolerance .........................................................................................70 Prosecutions for “Rehabilitation of Nazism” ............................................................................70 Sanctions for Display of Extremist Symbols ............................................................................. 72 Protecting “the Feelings of Religious Believers” .................................................................... 75 Religious Groups .........................................................................................................................................76 Hizb ut-Tahrir .................................................................................................................................................76 Tablighi Jamaat ..............................................................................................................................................78 Said Nursi Followers .................................................................................................................................79 Recognizing Islamic Materials as Extremist ............................................................................. 80 Jehovah’s Witnesses ................................................................................................................................. 81 Falun Gong ......................................................................................................................................................84 Protestant Denominations....................................................................................................................85 Administrative Sanctions for Distributing Religious Literature ...................................86 Sanctions against Libraries .........................................................................................................................86 Other Sanctions ................................................................................................................................................ 87 Mass Media and Anti-Extremism ..........................................................................................................88