ArmenPress
March 10 2004
POLICE IDENTIFIES CEMETERY VANDALS
KRASNODAR, MARCH 10, ARMENPRESS: The weekly Yerkramas, published
by the Armenian community in the southern Russian province of
Krasnodar, said the local police have identified a group of
youngsters, who profaned Armenian gravestones at the Slavonic
cemetery of the city on March 2 overnight. The weekly said the group
was made of 8 youngsters, aged between 13 to 16. The local police
said their parents will have to compensate the damages and restore
the broken tombs.
A similar act of vandalism was reported in 2002 April that was
strongly condemned by Armenian government and leading politicians,
who voiced their serious concern over escalating ethnic tensions in
the southern Russia.
On April 18, 2002 about 50 youths went on a rampage through the
Armenian cemetery in the city of Krasnodar vandalizing gravestones
and monuments. Though the local police announced then the arrest of
three Russian youngsters, aged between 14 and 17, on suspicion of
involvement in the rampage, all of them avoided any punishment.