Spike of violence in St. Petersburg: teenagers beat migrant janitors

The city is talking about a new wave of neo-Nazism

There has been a surge in violence against migrants in St. Petersburg. In right-wing Internet groups, he is commented on as a response to the actions of an Azerbaijani gang that attacked city residents in a crowd. Migrants are also accused of rape and other crimes against Russians. Has the principle of “everyone is responsible for one” really started working again?

At the beginning of the 2000s, St. Petersburg skinheads terrified migrant workers and their families. The climax was the murder of a 9-year-old girl from Tajikistan, after which the leaders and ordinary members of the group sat in the dock and received impressive sentences.

In just one week, from December 15 to 24, there were five attacks on street cleaners in the city. The aggressors acted in the same way: they approached from behind, sprayed him in the face with an aerosol can, then threw the victim to the ground and beat him with his feet and hands. The affected utility employees are between 42 and 53 years old. Among them are two women. Four of the victims came to work from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

The violators filmed their actions on their phones and posted them online. This is how the police managed to find the main characters. There were three of them: two 16-year-old college students and one 14-year-old schoolboy.

During the search, the teenagers were found to have a firearm with a swastika on it, as well as two gas canisters. During interrogation, the “punishers” admitted that they acted “weakly.” Supposedly they were tired of news in which migrants commit crimes against Russians, and decided to act in revenge.

The hooligans were detained by employees of the regional center for countering extremism. Their actions so far fall under Article 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Hooliganism.” But the investigation continues. It is possible that the teenagers will face more serious charges.

“The teenagers’ actions fall under Article 213 Part 2 – aggravated hooliganism,” comments lawyer and human rights activist Stalina Gurevich. – It provides for a punishment of up to 7 years. Previously, 16-year-old citizens would have received a suspended sentence or a fine for these actions, but given the special attention to the national issue in the current situation, a sentence may be realistic. I think it’s unlikely that teenagers will get the maximum, but for two years it’s quite possible.”

The case has already caused a wave of outrage in right-wing Internet groups. Supporters of the Russian idea are asking to release the guys and give them a small fine. Meanwhile, in Novosibirsk, teenagers committed a similar attack on a janitor. He was also sprayed in the face with a spray can and then beaten. Is there a connection between these crimes? Are we talking about an organized network? And how contagious can nationalism become among teenagers? MK spoke with human rights activist from St. Petersburg Nikita Sorokin.

– What sentence do you think teenagers face?

– There are aggravating circumstances in this crime. The crime was committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy. The victims were persecuted based on their nationality. Nazi symbols were found on the attackers. All this takes a real time, especially if they decide to make the process demonstrative.

– Can they?

– Certainly. Nationalist views are still strong in St. Petersburg, but after 2012, no high-profile crimes motivated by ethnic hatred were heard. Then the Ministry of Internal Affairs did a good job and cleaned up all manifestations of Nazism. Nobody wants to get a new surge.

– But some nationalist movements exist quite legally.

– They are allowed to work within the framework of patriotic education. But these movements are carefully monitored, their leaders are controlled, although they receive encouragement. And the leaders themselves understand what line they should not cross. The same cannot be said about teenagers. Here the ideas of legal nationalism can transform into a criminal plane and we will get another group. It is unlikely that we are talking about some kind of network, and the attacks on the janitors were planned, but the fact is a fact. For some reason, utility service employees are appointed as “enemies,” although they definitely work under a license and quite legally. This is just how the teenage mind works.

Work on this topic should be carried out in the family. That a peaceful janitor who cleans the street should not be responsible for the actions of a fellow countryman who raped a child in an elevator. Otherwise, nationalism can become very contagious.

– Do you think detained teenagers should receive severe punishment?

– I think they should get off with a fine. I always take a humane position towards children. Perhaps they were victims of propaganda. But the situation with rising nationalism must be taken very seriously. But at the same time, the police must work well here: timely and adequate punishment of migrants for crimes is the best pacifier for indignant citizens.