European Rights Commissioner Alarmed by Russia Anti-Semitism

July 22, 2002

The Council of Europe's human rights commissioner on Monday urged action to prevent anti-Semitic attacks in Russia and punish those responsible for a spate of such incidents in recent months.

"Society cannot remain passive or indifferent to demonstrations of this sort, including posters, publications, etc.," Alvaro Gil-Robles told a conference in Moscow, according to the Interfax news agency.

Bombs have injured three people in recent months who tried to remove booby-trapped signs reading "Death to Jews." Similar signs, some with fake explosives attached to them, have sprouted up around the country.

"If a bomb is attached to a poster and it causes injury or death, this is not just an expression of xenophobia but a crime that should be punished in keeping with the law," Gil-Robles was quoted as saying.

The anti-Semitic incidents and racially motivated attacks on foreigners in recent months have prompted widespread calls for tougher police action. In the past victims have sometimes accused police of ignoring their complaints.

President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law cracking down on extremism, but human rights groups say it is so broad that it could be used to stifle any political opposition.

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