Evidence has emerged over the last two weeks of a coordinated, Soviet style campaign against Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia. Charges of extremism have been filed against two congregations, FSB and other officials have interfered with over 30 Jehovah's Witnesses congresses this summer, and a series of articles demonizing Jehovah's Witnesses have appeared in provinical newspapers throughout the country, in some cases on the same day. Many of these articles focus on an alleged kidnapping by Jehovah's Witnesses of a young man supposedly seeking sanctuary inside a Russian Orthodox church in Elista.

Technorati Tags: Russia Jehovah's Witnesses Orthodox Church

On the one hand, Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov publicly condemns xenophobia and last week called for harsher laws against hate speech and hate crimes, saying on April 15 that: "The government must ensure the tranquility of all people regardless of the color of their skin... Xenophobia is a disease that may eventually endanger this country. The main reason for such crimes is the absence of a real punishment." At the same time, his subordinates running the city's law enforcement agencies impudently contradict him and President Putin by denying that racist violence is a problem.

Technorati Tags: Moscow xenophobia anti-Semitism racism Luzhkov

С 12 по 15 декабря 2008 г. Федеральная миграционная служба (ФМС) проводила операцию "Нелегальный мигрант". За эти дни в Москве сотрудниками ФМС были задержаны 2,5 тыс. иностранных граждан (http://www/etnosfera/ru/ogl.php).

Technorati Tags: Федеральная миграционная служба Росии Константин Ромодановский "Гражданское содействие" Светлана Ганнушкина мигранты