International Day of Antifascists Solidarity – “NO PASARAN!”

The 8 May, on the Day of Europe, Europeans celebrate victory over fascism. This day was declared the International Day of Antifascists Solidarity under the slogan “NO PASARAN!”  Members of the Youth Human Rights Movement, struggling against fascism, organized symbolic actions of solidarity with antifascists of all countries. According to the latest report of Amnesty International racially-motivated killings, beatings and discrimination are on the increase in the Russian Federation. (14-MAY-06)

Text: HRH/ Moscow, Yanina Savenko. Sources: www.amnesty.org.ru, www.antirasizm.ru, www.anti-fa.ru, www.hro.org. Photos: www.antirasizm.ru, www.2002.novayagazeta.ru

The 8 May is a date that symbolizes solidarity of antifascists, whose joint actions brought down the Nazi regime in the last century. The International Net – Youth Human Rights Movement has been carrying on propagation of tolerance and has launched a campaign against racism, fascism and Nazism. Members of its section “Youth Network against Racism and Intolerance” have organized many actions and campaigns in different cities and countries under the slogan “They won’t pass! – NO PASARAN!”  The international slogan “NO Pasaran!”, as a symbol of solidarity of antifascists from different generations and different nationalities, is once again of  great actuality in the Russian Federation, because today in the Russian Federation nationalist ideology finds active supporters, among bands of Neo Nazi, skinheads as well as among political figures and parties… Members of the Youth Human Rights Movement believe that we can effectively resist fascism in our own countries only by consolidated efforts.

Violent racism out of control in the Russian Federation
According to the new report of Amnesty International “Russian Federation: Violent racism out of control” nationalistic attacks have increased in the country. These are cases of assaults, some of them fatal, against foreign students, asylum-seekers and refugees from Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America; members of ethnic groups and migrants from the Caucasus and Central Asia; as well as members of the Jewish community and Roma. According to a Russian information centre (the Sova Information Analytical Centre), in 2005 alone 28 people were murdered and 366 assaulted on racial grounds. The actual figure, however, could be much higher as many racially motivated crimes are either not reported at all or not registered as such. Rather, police and prosecution authorities frequently prefer to classify them as so-called “hooliganism”. The perpetrators of racist attacks often come from well-organized groups professing a racist, neo-fascist and violent ideology. According to official figures, there are about 150 “extremist groups” with over 5000 members in the Russian Federation, while non-governmental organizations put the membership at 50,000. With all this going on Russian authorities don’t prevent racially-motivated attacks through adequate policing and police doesn’t investigate and prosecute the vast majority of such attacks effectively. At the same time, organizations and people researching and campaigning against racism face real threats to their lives. (read more )

People with non-Slavic appearance are suspected of being terrorists
Following large-scale violent attacks against civilians attributed to Chechen armed opposition groups, Chechens and members of other North Caucasian ethnic groups have been subjected to persecution. As members of a minority group, which may be visibly distinct from ethnic Russians, they are also particularly vulnerable to on the spot document checks, as part of so-called “counter-terrorist” measures or for the purposes of extortion by police. A monitoring project by a human rights organization in 2005 found that people of non-Slavic appearance are on average 21 times more likely to be stopped and asked for their documents than individuals of Slavic appearance, when traveling on the Moscow metro.

– the Russian Federation must fight against discrimination in all of its forms
– Russia´s record on racism is incompatible with the country´s place on the international stage and undermines its standing in the world. As a Council of Europe member about to take its chair, and head of the G8, the Russian Federation must comply with its obligations under international human rights law. State has a responsibility to protect the human rights of all people on its territory – regardless of the colour of their skin. They must challenge and bring to justice those who violate them. Some regional authorities have taken initiatives to address racism, but they are woefully inadequate and isolated. The time has come for the federal government to put into action a comprehensive national plan to give the fight against racism the high priority it deserves, – said Irene Khan, Amnesty International´s Secretary General.