&host=www.rt.com&uri=/news/trial-against-ultra-right/&via=1.1 205.128.88.9:80 (Footprint 4.8/FPMCP)&ua=CCBot/1.0 (+http://www.commoncrawl.org/bot.html))
Trial against ultra-right group underway
Published: 21 April, 2010, 10:58
Edited: 27 April, 2010, 20:24
TAGS: Crime, Scandal, Russia, Hate crimes, Human rights
A court in Moscow is to declare its ruling on a case involving an ultra-right wing group which is facing charges of extremism and inciting hatred.
The court will decide whether or not the biggest Russian ultra-nationalist organization has the right to exist.
Earlier the Moscow prosecutor pledged to apply to the court for a prohibition of the Moscow branch of the Slavic Union and acknowledgement of them as “extremist”.
15 witnesses have been expected to testify against the Slavic Union, as they call themselves.
The trial is held behind closed doors to prevent witnesses being threatened by the defendants.
Prosecutors say the Slavic Union promotes neo-Nazi ideology through their marches and their website.
The group’s leader Dmitry Dyomushkin said that, if the group is banned, his followers – who are not accused of attacking people, merely of inciting hatred – will resort to violence.
Evgeny Proshechkin from Moscow anti-fascist center says, the level of xenophobia is rather high in Russia.
“Polls show that about 60 per cent of the population support the nationalistic slogan ‘Russia for Russians’ and the like,” Proshechkin told RT. “The murder of Eduard Chuvashov is an indicator of how far our society has gone – a federal judge shot dead in the center of Moscow, in his own home, that shows that fascism is not just scary talk but the grim reality of modern Russia.”
“The Slavic Union, in particular, has upheld one of the strongest nationalist ideologies, sowing discord and hatred in our multinational society,” he added. “They’ve been taking a very active part in nationalist rallies. They have a stylized swastika in their emblem and their name is abbreviated to SS in Russia, which is insulting to any Russian.”
The Prosecutor’s Office has published statistics saying that during the last five years racially motivated attacks against people of non-Russian ethnicity have risen fourfold in the country.
21.04.2010, 09:38
2 comments
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I believe in the principles of democracy, hence it gives everyone the opportunity to participate in the goverment of their own lives and that of their nation. The other side of the coin, however, is that such dirt as neonazis are allowed to exist. It is a very difficult paradox. However, people who advocate racial superiority do not deserve democracy, they deserve punishment. I don't remember where I heard it, but I believe it to be absolutely true - "Slavophile nationalism will be the death of Russia". Russia - a multinational and multiconfessional state, can only thrieve and prosper on Eurasianist principles - a healthy symbiosis of the Slavic, Turk and Caucasian cultures. Religious and cultural autonomy is the key to a new Russian superpower.
Clearly, there are groups that want to start a civil war in Russia; we see them in forms of Russian ultra nationalists or separatist groups in caucuses. It is the old politics of divide and rule. These groups are both sides of the same coin, and in my opinion may be directed, financed from outside by the same agitators. Though, the foot soldiers in these groups, who carry these attacks, may not even know that. Obviously, if these groups go unchecked, there is a potential that they turn Russia into another Yugoslavia or Lebanon, with disastrous consequence for the world peace. It is very important to find the people responsible, and interrogate them extensively by the intelligence officials. A civil war in Russia is not to the best interest of US, China or any other peace loving country in the world and I do not think any of them is involved in this, so we should ask the question what country or groups benefits from a civil war in Russia? People trafficking mafia, that supply prostitutes to west European countries, and Israel are some of the beneficiaries of a potential civil war in Russia. Funny thing is that the same sort of thing is happening in USA now. There are forces that want to drive US into Civil unrest or war, similar to LA riots or civil war. The recent law in Arizona is a shame. This is not the way neighbors should treat each other. As a US citizen, I am ashamed of this law and am very concerned about raise of fascism in my country and possibility of Civil unrest (or war) in my country.
One would have to be instantly suspicious of a group calling themselves 'Slavic Unity' or the likes but then carrying around Swastikas, either they have a very poor marketing campaign or they clearly just do not care as to the obvious emotion the symbols carry, if the reality is the second then there must be reasons they have such a campaign, but none of those reasons in my opinion are a threat to Russia's national security if one looks at the sheer size of the society these groups can be studied for much more benefit, to gauge and create policy to easily counteract these 'misfits' designs. In a system of law , it is a much bigger risk (in my opinion) to ban a group based solely on its ideas, but of course individuals are different, if an individual commits a violent act, punish them to the full extent of the law, this I believe is the line, by banning a group where do you draw the line? Ban extreme ideas? Ban ideas associated with extreme ideas ? Ban ideas? Ban Extreme Opinions? Ban opinions associated with extreme Opinions? Ban Opinions? it is my opinion that this is another 'Gun law' style issue where by people advocate the banning of personal weapons because of 'Gun crime' where individuals cause 'Gun crime' and the population of law abiding Gun owners receives the blame. Banning these types of groups , literally any of them, from extreme communists to extreme right wing to extreme integrationists is just another chip away at Russian society and in my opinion represents a loss not a win. keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Of course not to imply that any single group is an enemy, again, individuals are different.