International Herald Tribune, France
June 23 2007
Russians, Caucasus natives brawl in Moscow; police say right-wing
groups sparked fight
The Associated PressPublished: June 23, 2007
MOSCOW: Dozens of Russians brawled with people from the Caucasus and
Central Asia in what Moscow police said Saturday was a coordinated
attack by anti-immigrant and right-wing activists. Nearly four dozen
people were detained and one person was hospitalized.
The violence Friday night was the latest incident involving hate
crimes or attacks targeting foreigners in Russia, particularly
dark-skinned immigrants from poorer regions and republics of the
former Soviet Union. Many Russian regions are plagued by tensions
between ethnic Russians and minority groups, especially those from
Chechnya and the Caucasus.
Moscow city police spokesman Anatoly Latovetsky said in televised
comments that anti-immigrant and right wing activists were behind the
running battles that took place Friday in three locations in the
Russian capital. The groups specifically targeted people from the
Caucasus, such as from Chechnya, Azerbaijan or Armenia, he said.
One ethnic Armenian man was hospitalized with stab wounds, he said.
Forty-two people were detained for disturbing public order and other
charges, Moscow police said.