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Europe Joins the Fight Against Russian Racism

"The system effectively has a negative impact on the basic rights of visible minorities throughout the country."

by MGV Staff Report

October 6, 2008

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is helping Russia fight growing racism and intolerance in that country. Late in September the Commission held a roundtable in Moscow to review the Russian Federation's implementation of ECRI's third (2005) country report recommendations.

Both the report and round table are part of a regular effort by ECRI to help member states of the Council of Europe improve on race relations in increasingly diverse civil society. The report "thoroughly analyses the situation as regards racism and intolerance in each country and makes suggestions and proposals as to how to tackle the problems identified."

The Round Table took place September 23, 2008, and involved ECRI officials; Russian government officials including, representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Regional Development, Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor General's Office, and the Federal Migration Service. Representative from the Russian Human Rights Commission; as well as representatives from numerous non-government organizations (NGOs) in Russia.

The report found that Russia needs to develop strong institutional frameworks that will help it effectively combat racism and racist violence and to create an atmosphere of racial tolerance in society.

The country has had serious problems with racism, especially against blacks and other non-Russian minorities, since the end of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The unwelcome trend has led to violent attacks and even deaths of blacks and other non-Russian minorities - Asians with origins in former Soviet republics. The MGV 2006 report on Racism in Europe highlights the scope of the problem as it affects blacks in Russia. See the report.

The ECRI report notes that Russia has made some progress since 2001 in a number of areas. Criminal law provisions on racism and discrimination have been strengthened and used to prosecute hate speech. The labor code has been given "extensive provision prohibiting discrimination in employment," and there has been some measures taken to "promote tolerance and to encourage interethnic dialogue."

The report further notes, however, that many earlier recommendations by ECRI remain unimplemented or partially implemented. Acts of racism and intolerance are generally on the increase. It notes that "there needs to be greater urgency at both local and national level" in tackling racism and hate speech. Criminal law provisions against racism are not adequately implemented main because they do not adequately recognize the racist motive of an offence. The working condition for immigrant workers, notably from former Soviet states, remain oppressive. The situation of asylum seekers and refugees is precarious. There are still racial discrimination in education, employment and access to public services.

"There has been a rise in racial violence, an increase in cases of racist expression, as well as the increasing use of racist and xenophobic discourse in politics. Visible minorities including Chechens, other Caucasians, Roma, Meskhetian Turks in Krasnodar, citizens from CIS countries, Africans, Asians and other non-citizens, as well as members of small religious groups including Jews, are the main targets of racially motivated attacks, and of racist inflammatory discourse. Police and Cossacks often adopt discriminatory and unlawful conduct in virtual impunity. Racial discrimination in the residence registration system remains serious. This system effectively has a negative impact on the basic rights of visible minorities throughout the country," the report said.

The report concludes by recommending that Russian authorities take further action to improve implementation criminal law provisions against racism and intolerance. It further recommends the creation of an independent body for combating racism and racial discrimination. Russia should regularize non-citizens' situation and protect them from labor exploitation. Authorities must develop a general strategy using preventive measures and appropriate penalties against perpetrators in the fight against any discriminatory acts, racist violence and hate speech. Training should be provided to police officers in the areas of human rights and the need to combat racism and to redress patterns of police misbehavior. The whole system of residence registration should be reviewed thoroughly to ensure that it does not have a discriminatory impact on visible minorities.