"Sova" Centre: 21 Caucasian natives killed by racists in Russia during 11 months of this year

According to the "Sova" Information and Analytical Centre, in January-November 2008, 21 natives from the Caucasus were murdered and 63 more wounded on the motive of racial hatred. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was informed about it by Galina Kozhevnikova, Deputy Director of the Centre.

As of December this year, in total in Russia xenophobia became the reason of 83 murders and 356 injuries. As compared with last year, the count of murders has gone up. According to the expert, natives from the Caucasus take the second place by the number of casualties. Natives from the Middle Asia are in the lead: 46 persons killed and 99 wounded.

"Two years ago, the situation was reverse: Caucasians were the risk group number one. Last year, the picture began changing; it's clear why - Caucasians started striking skinheads back. Thus, recently, the MIA spread some information that militia detained several groups of Caucasian young guys who were attacking Slav-looking people, allegedly crying 'Russian swine!'," said Galina Kozhevnikova.

She explains that these groups have no ideology - they are united by solidarity of Caucasian natives. They are not always monoethnic groups. Such group can bring together Ossetians, Ingushes, Armenians or Azerbaijanis. "It's clear. They're identified equally, and they identify themselves as such - as people from the Caucasus. Their behaviour is a calque from skinheads' behaviour. They attack and provoke conflicts with obviously weaker opponents, make videos of their attacks and place them in the Internet and make 'appointments' to skinheads," said the "Sova" Centre spokeswoman.