RUSSIA | Anti-racist beaten up on the eve of demonstration

Monday, 6 February 2012, 13:39

The Human Rights First organisation has called on the Russian government to investigate a violent assault on anti-racist activist Philip Kostenko who works at the “Memorial” Anti-Discrimination Centre in Saint Petersburg.

On 3 February, Kostenko was attacked by two men who followed him through a park, where they felled him and beat him. One of the attackers called him by name before the assault. Kostenko was later hospitalised. “We call on the authorities in Saint Petersburg to thoroughly investigate this case, including the extent to which it was in retaliation for his activism. They should also hold the perpetrators accountable.

The fact that this incident took place one day before the scheduled opposition demonstrations across Russia suggests that the attackers may have wanted to prevent Kostenko’s participation in 4 February protest actions,” commented Human Rights First’s Paul LeGendre. Kostenko has previously been subjected to intimidation and monitoring by the authorities – including the police unit responsible for combating extremism and hate crime – for his legitimate opposition and his human rights activities. In mid-December 2011, he was targeted by police during non-violent post-parliamentary election protests, arrested, and given the maximum 15-day sentence for public disorder.

On December 22, his sentence was extended by another 15 days at a hearing heavily influenced by a representative from the police’s anti-extremism unit. The judge in that hearing refused to allow Kostenko to defend himself before extending the sentence.