MOSCOW—A high-ranking Dutch diplomat was assaulted in his home in the Russian capital by two men who had forced their way inside, officials said Wednesday. The incident came a week after the Netherlands apologized for the alleged beating of a Russian diplomat by Dutch police in The Hague.
The confrontations come amid increased diplomatic tension between the two countries following Russia's arrest of environmental activists from a Greenpeace ship sailing under a Dutch flag who were protesting last month against offshore drilling in Russia's Arctic.
Russian police said in a statement that the unknown assailants had forced their way into the home of a Dutch man on a street in central Moscow that is home to several embassies and the Russian Supreme Court, knocked him to the floor, bound him with duct tape and "used violence against him." They then trashed the apartment and fled, police said.
Russian police said in a statement that the unknown assailants had forced their way into the home of a Dutch man on a street in central Moscow that is home to several embassies and the Russian Supreme Court, knocked him to the floor, bound him with duct tape and "used violence against him." They then trashed the apartment and fled, police said.
The state news agency RIA-Novosti, citing police sources, said the intruders had drawn a heart and the letters LGBT—an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender—on the wall of the man's house. Russia has drawn heavy criticism abroad for the recent passage of a law banning gay "propaganda."
Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans confirmed that the victim was a Dutch diplomat in a message posted on his Facebook page. "He was slightly injured. I have spoken with him and he is doing OK now," Mr. Timmermans wrote.
Russia's Foreign Ministry later identified the official as 60-year-old Onno Elderenbosch, the deputy head of the Dutch mission who had until earlier this year served as acting ambassador.
Mr. Timmermans said he has summoned the Russian ambassador to the Netherlands to the foreign ministry.
"The Netherlands is asking for an explanation from the Russian authorities about this incident. Our people must be able to work safely over there and I want to be assured that the Russian authorities are taking their responsibility on that point," he wrote.
In a statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it regretted "the unfortunate incident," and that "all necessary measures" were being taken "to find and arrest the persons involved in this crime."
The episode follows the brief arrest on Oct. 5 of the No. 2 diplomat at the Russian embassy in The Hague, after neighbors worried about the two children in his apartment had called police. The man said police had handcuffed him and hit him on the head with a baton even though he had identified himself as a diplomat.
President Vladimir Putin called the incident a "rude violation" of diplomatic treaties and demanded an apology. Russian officials also floated the prospect of a ban on Dutch tulips and dairy products. The Dutch Foreign Ministry on Oct. 9 said it was sorry for violating the Vienna Convention on diplomatic immunity.
Relations between the countries have grown increasingly tense since a Russian court jailed 30 people who were aboard the Greenpeace ship during the Sept. 18 protest, in which activists attempted to scale an offshore platform in the Arctic to protest oil exploration. They were ordered to be held in pretrial detention on piracy charges earlier this month. The charges carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
The arrests of the 28 activists, plus a photographer and videographer—dubbed the "Arctic 30"—has sparked demonstrations at Russian embassies and consulates around the world calling for their release. Earlier this month, the Dutch government said it would file a case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Germany to recover the ship.
Ironically, the tension comes as the two countries celebrate "Netherlands-Russia Year," a continuing program of economic and cultural activities designed to emphasize bilateral relations.
Dutch parliamentarian Michiel Servaes argued Wednesday that the yearlong event should be "put on hold" until guarantees about the safety of Dutch diplomats are made.
The king of the Netherlands, Willem Alexander, is scheduled to visit Russia and meet with Mr. Putin in November. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he would not speculate on whether the incident would affect the king's trip.
"It is very serious what has happened, but we need to get the facts first," he said.
Write to Lukas I. Alpert at lukas.alpert@wsj.com
A version of this article appeared October 17, 2013, on page A9 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Dutch Diplomat Assaulted in Moscow as Tension Rises.
See also: netherlands russia - GS
Netherlands–Russia relations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands–Russia_relations
Netherlands–Russia relations is the relationships between the two countries, the Netherlands and Russia. Russia has an embassy in The Hague, and the ...Mike Nova comments:
Czar Peter, sir, and what would you think and say about all this, Ah?! Say it to Mr. Putin, por favor; I think he needs to hear it. You are his "role model", anyway. Maybe he will listen to you and will learn something from you about the conduct of international relations. Even your guys appear to had been less barbaric than his are, in a historical retrospect. And have a nice talk with him when two of you meet upstairs, and, please do not forget to take your big cane with you.
Where is the Politburo, where are their plumbers and electricians; can't you fix this, already, before he tries to bash the whole diplomatic corps' brains in? Can't you write LGBT in big red letters on his mirror and on the walls of his house, so he could at least learn what it is before sending his thugs in?Mr. Regent, Sergey Ivanov, sir: do you see not that your charge is getting completely out of bounds? If something else happens, he, God forbids, might open his little nuclear suitcase and will start pushing all the buttons indiscriminately in a fit of rage. He does not seem to know the difference between the "tit for tat" and the "quid pro quo". Does he know the difference between good and bad, between proper and wise diplomatic response (when people on the Dutch side have already apologized and the case should have been closed and forgotten) and the senseless and confrontational revenge and retaliation, stemming from his own personal inferiority complex, uncontrollable impulse to hurt back and chronic, mad, immature, childish anger? Does he know what "measured response", moderation and political prudence are? He used to know them, I think. So, what happened now: has he simply nothing to lose and does he not care? And, please, do not try to say that it was not him: nothing happens there without his command and approval (very unfortunately), a la Ivan Grozny in his later years. And this is not just a single episode, absolutely the same thing happened earlier with Polish diplomat several years ago. This is the pattern of gross political misbehavior, and very alarming and dangerous one. Maybe he got so enraged because he did not get his Noble Prize? Who knows? And I will not mention some other occurrences at this point, out of simple and diplomatic politeness; although, I am sure that you are very well aware of them.
Is this not the right time and a good idea to arrange some good professional forensic psychiatric evaluation for this little boy, before he gets completely nuts and brings poor Mother Russia to its ruin and to its grave with him? As you did some time ago with Yeltsin? And as it had to be done with most of his predecessors? Serbsky Institute is apparently back in "bidniz" and maybe you can find some, not completely corrupted yet guys there? Your late Tamara Dmitrieva, Serbsky director, promoted, appointed and generously awarded for her special KGB services by your dear little old boy Putin, who conducted Yeltsin's psychiatric examination, displayed such nice extra-shiny extra-sized gems on her very caring hands and upper torso, (apparently, gifts and payments, not to say bribes, from her very grateful mafia and other VIP patients) that one almost had to use heavily tinted sun shades to watch her "duma testimony". She looked more like a pretty doll in the window of the most exclusive jewelry store on Tverskaya street than a physician. She refused to disclose Yeltsin's psychiatric diagnosis on the phony, false and absolutely irrelevant pretext of "vrachebnaya taina": patient's right to privacy and confidentiality. No such thing, when it concerns the very powerful ruling politician, in my very humble opinion; because his state of health, carefully and artfully hidden from others, might affect very directly and very tragically the fate of his country and the fate of the world.
And is this not the right and proper time and the course of actions: to take the steering wheel of the state into your own hands or to give it to some good and responsible person, who will be able to handle it, rather than to leave it in the hands of your half-crazed, irresponsible and immature, but in the most troubling way, obviously criminally slanted in many respects, poor little old boy?
Mr. Putin, you are a sick (in many various aspects) and a very troubled man. Your mask of superficial psychopathic charm and demonstratively "benign nature" is worn off completely, and there is nothing there beyond and behind it, just enraged wolf's grin. You affect very negatively, adversely, unpredictably and dangerously the climate and the situations within your own country and internationally. I do not think that it is possible, feasible or potentially productive to do any business with you. I think that you should resign or to be removed. I also think that you should be the subject to prosecution, domestic, international or both for the abuse of political power and corruption, for acts that we do know and that we do not know yet but will investigate and will try to discover. And this is my very humble and strictly personal opinion.
Disrespectfully, Michael Novakhov.
-
P.S. My humble advice, my dear sirs, for whatever it stands: Turn everything upside down, if the need be; but do find those thugs (if they are not found already), and as soon as possible, and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. But most importantly, find out who is behind them, which "electrical company" or "chief electrician" and deal with them appropriately also.
M.N.
-
Some other news stories from:
» Assault of Dutch Diplomat in Moscow Frays Ties Between Russia and the ... - New York Times
17/10/13 00:40 from Russia - Google News
New York TimesAssault of Dutch Diplomat in Moscow Frays Ties Between Russia and the ...New York TimesMOSCOW — The year 2013 was officially supposed to be one of cultural exchange to highlight the friendship between Russia and the Netherl...
Assault of Dutch Diplomat in Moscow Frays Ties Between Russia and the Netherlands
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A computer screen showing a photo of Onno Elderenbosch, the Netherlands’ deputy ambassador to Russia, who was beaten up in his apartment in Moscow.By ANDREW ROTH and STEPHEN CASTLE
Published: October 16, 2013
» Attack on diplomat in Moscow deepens Dutch-Russian rift
16/10/13 17:59 from World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk
Dutch deputy head of mission in Russia assaulted at his flat 10 days after opposite number was arrested in The HagueA senior Dutch diplomat has been assaulted by unidentified assailants at his home in Moscow days after Dutch police arres...
Attack on diplomat in Moscow deepens Dutch-Russian rift
Dutch deputy head of mission in Russia assaulted at his flat 10 days after opposite number was arrested in The Hague
Share 38
inShare
1
Email
Tom Balmforth in Moscow
theguardian.com, Wednesday 16 October 2013 13.59 EDT
Onno Elderenbosch building
Passersby outside the apartment building in Moscow where Onno Elderenbosch was attacked. Photograph: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images
A senior Dutch diplomat has been assaulted by unidentified assailants at his home in Moscow days after police in the Netherlands arrested his Russian counterpart.
Two men barged into the home of Onno Elderenbosch, the Dutch deputy head of mission in Russia, and beat him, tied him up with tape and drew a heart pierced with an arrow on his mirror in pink lipstick and beneath it the letters LGBT, the acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
The Russian foreign ministry said authorities would "take all measures" to find those responsible, working in close partnership with the Dutch, but the incident looks certain to worsen fraying ties between the countries, with the king and queen of the Netherlands due to visit Russia next month.
Upon returning home on Tuesday night Elderenbosch found that the lift in his apartment building was not working and encountered two men posing as electricians, according to Russian media reports.
They reportedly asked to check his fourth-floor apartment for electricity, and when he opened the door they overpowered him and forced their way inside. Elderenbosch, 60, sustained minor injuries in the incident. The intruders stole nothing.
Ten days earlier Dutch police arrested Elderenbosch's opposite number, Dmitry Borodin, the number two in the Russian embassy in the Hague, despite him having diplomatic immunity.
Borodin, who says he was beaten with a police baton, was detained for three hours on 5 October in an incident that Vladimir Putin said violated the Vienna convention. The Russian president demanded a public apology, subsequently issued by the Dutch foreign minister, Frans Timmermans. But the Netherlands declined to bring any police officers to account.
According to Dutch media reports cited by the AFP news agency, Borodin was found drunk and barely able to stand when police arrived at his home after neighbours complained he was mistreating his children. Russia has rubbished these reports.
In the wake of the incident an aide to Gennady Onishchenko, the chief health inspector known for banning produce from countries at odds with the Kremlin, threatened to impose an import ban on Dutch tulips and dairy products.
Ties between the Netherlands and Russia began to fray conspicuously in September when border guards seized a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship that activists used for an environmental protest on an oil rig operated by the Russian state gas giant Gazprom in the Arctic Pechora Sea.
On 4 October the Dutch launched legal proceedings against Russia, hoping to go to the international tribunal for the law of the sea, based in Hamburg, to contest the manner by which Russian border guards seized the Arctic Sunrise in international waters.
The Greenpeace activists, among them two Dutch nationals, have been charged with piracy, which carries 10 to 15 years in jail in Russia. They could face further charges after investigators claimed they found illegal substances on board the boat. A court in Murmansk, northern Russia, has so far rejected all appeals for bail.
Dutch politicians have said they hope legal proceedings will draw further attention to the charges, which have been criticised as baseless.
It is not the first time diplomats have encountered problems in Russia. Britain's former ambassador Anthony Brenton was hounded for months in 2006 by members of a pro-Kremlin youth group after the murder of Alexander Litvinenko led to a spate of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions between the UK and Russia.
The current US ambassador, Michael McFaul, has complained that pro-government television crews have displayed an uncanny knowledge of his movements, suggesting they are able to monitor his phone calls and email correspondence. On Wednesday McFaul condemned the attack of Elderenbosch, writing on Twitter that "such actions are unacceptable".
Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, was reported to have spoken to his Dutch counterpart by telephone on Wednesday evening to inform him of progress in the investigation, although no details were forthcoming.
As well as the Greenpeace incident, Russia and the Netherlands have been at odds over LGBT issues this year. When Putin flew to Amsterdam in April, thousands waved rainbow flags in Amsterdam to protest against Russian legislation prohibiting the distribution of "gay propaganda" among minors.
In July four Dutch nationals who were producing a film about LGBT rights were detained by police in the Russian north and questioned for several hours before being released. They were subsequently banned from returning to Russia for three years, purportedly because they had violated their visa regulations. They are believed to be the first foreigners to have crossed paths with the legislation.
Dutch politicians have urged King Willem-Alexander to cancel his planned visit next month. The king is due in Russia to mark the end of a bilateral project called "Netherlands-Russia year", designed to mark 400 years of relations between the two countries. On Wednesday Dutch politicians called for the project to be abandoned entirely.
» Dutch Express Outrage Over Attack on Diplomat in Moscow
16/10/13 20:00 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
Investigators opened a criminal case Wednesday in connection with an attack on a Dutch diplomat in his Moscow apartment, amid growing tensions between Russia and the Netherlands during a year meant to celebrate relations between the two ...
» U.S. 'Disturbed' by Attack on Dutch Diplomat
17/10/13 04:53 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
The U.S. has strongly condemned the attack on a senior Dutch diplomat in his Moscow apartment on Tuesday evening, and expressed concern about reports that the assault may have been directed against homosexuals.
U.S. 'Disturbed' by Attack on Dutch Diplomat
17 October 2013 | Issue 5237RIA Novosti
Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/us-disturbed-by-attack-on-dutch-diplomat/488020.html#ixzz2i1ShAqXf
The Moscow Times
» Russia 'regret' over attack on Dutch diplomat - BBC News
16/10/13 16:05 from Russia - Google News
BBC NewsRussia 'regret' over attack on Dutch diplomatBBC NewsRussia's foreign ministry has expressed regret after a Dutch diplomat was beaten up in Moscow. The Dutch foreign ministry summoned Russia's ambassador to explai...
Mr Timmermans told the Dutch parliament that he had spoken to Mr Lavrov by telephone.
Images of the graffiti on the mirror were shown by Russian media
» Beating strains Amsterdam-Moscow ties
16/10/13 16:03 from FT.com - World, Europe
The Netherlands was seeking answers after a Dutch diplomat was beaten in Moscow, the latest in a series of incidents testing relations
» Beaten diplomats and 'bad' tulips: Russian-Dutch ties get worse. - Christian Science Monitor
16/10/13 15:48 from Russia - Google News
Christian Science MonitorBeaten diplomats and 'bad' tulips: Russian-Dutch ties get worse.Christian Science MonitorAn assault on a top Dutch diplomat in his Moscow apartment could be just a random big-city crime, if possibly homop...
» Dutch diplomat attacked in Moscow
16/10/13 14:17 from Europe News: News and Headlines from Europe - The Washington Post
MOSCOW — Relations between Russia and the Netherlands have taken an odd turn recently. Last month, Russia seized a Greenpeace ship sailing under the Dutch flag. Just over a week ago, a high-level Russian diplomat in the Hague complained ...
Foreign diplomats here are closely watched by government agents, and over the years some have been subjected to protracted harassment — including the U.S. ambassador, Michael McFaul, when he first arrived in early 2012. A physical assault is considerably more serious.
» Dutch diplomat beaten in Moscow flat in tit-for-tat attack - with 'LGBT' written on mirror
16/10/13 09:59 from - Europe RSS Feed
A Dutch diplomat has been beaten by two men in his Moscow flat, further straining relations after police in the Netherlands detained and allegedly beat a Russian diplomat this month.» Dutch diplomat found beaten and with 'LGBT' scrawled on mirror in his Russian apartment
16/10/13 09:59 from - Europe RSS Feed
Russia has said it will investigate the beating of Dutch diplomat in his Moscow flat by unknown intruders posing as electricians.» Dutch diplomat beaten by two unidentified men who barged into his apartment in Russia
16/10/13 09:59 from - Europe RSS Feed
Russia expressed regret today over the beating of Dutch diplomat in his Moscow flat by unknown intruders and said it would seek out the culprits.» Dutch diplomat found beaten in Moscow flat in apparent tit-for-tat attack
16/10/13 09:59 from - Europe RSS Feed
A Dutch diplomat has been beaten by two men in his Moscow flat, further straining relations after police in the Netherlands detained and allegedly beat a Russian diplomat this month.
» The bear and the land of tulips
16/10/13 09:48 from EU-RussiaCentre
An article writes about the current tense relationship between the Netherlands and Russia, citing the notable Dutch involvement in the recent dispute over Greenpeace activists. The article concludes that both countries have very differen...
» Down a Road Less Traveled, Looking for the Still Heart of Russia - New York Times (blog)
16/10/13 21:12 from Russia - Google News
Down a Road Less Traveled, Looking for the Still Heart of RussiaNew York Times (blog)The Boston Marathon bombers turned out to be Islamists from Russia's North Caucasus. Infighting at the Bolshoi Ballet erupted into tabloid violence....
» How do you solve a problem like Russia? - The Guardian
17/10/13 12:04 from Russia - Google News
The GuardianHow do you solve a problem like Russia?The Guardian"
Russia systematically forces a showdown on all subjects," said a French foreign ministry official – an approach illustrated by the Syrian crisis.
For months, Russi...
Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise after being seized by Russian authorities during a protest against drilling in the Arctic. Photograph: Igor Podgorny/AFP/Getty Images
Clark said Putin continued to be motivated by fear of encirclement and the imposition on Russia of western political and civil rights agendas. His diplomatic success over Syria notwithstanding, his posture was essentially defensive."Russia's economic position is very fragile due its dependency on global oil prices; it is very exposed, very vulnerable. There has been no progress in modernising and diversifying, despite what Putin says," Clark said.
Despite a contracting economy and falling popularity ratings, Putin remained a formidable opponent, Brenton said. "Putin is very professional. He is very well briefed. He tends to go for the jugular if he sees an opportunity. He is not a diplomat. He's not the sort of guy you would invite to a tea party. But we have to do business with him."
» How do you solve a problem like Russia?
17/10/13 10:03 from World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk
From its diplomatic triumph on Syria to the jailing of Greenpeace activists, the Kremlin's newfound confidence is both confusing and concerning Europe. Should the EU be worried? We ask foreign policy expertsA resurgent Kremlin is setting...
» The Dangers of Growing Russian Parochialism
16/10/13 09:43 from EU-RussiaCentre
Here is published an opinion editorial by Anders Åslund, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, warning of the dangers of growing Russian parochialism. The article argues that Russia’s trade ...
The Dangers of Growing Russian Parochialism
16 Oct 2013 — RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Here is published an opinion editorial by Anders Åslund, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, warning of the dangers of growing Russian parochialism. The article argues that Russia’s trade policy, particularly in regards to the Russian-backed Customs Union, makes no sense and harms Russia’s national interests. Politically, President Vladimir Putin is turning most post-Soviet states against his country, compelling them to seek security elsewhere. Economically, Russia is paying large subsidies while impeding the modernisation of its economy. Legally, it is provoking World Trade Organisation (WTO) sanctions. Instead, Russia should open up its economy and render it more competitive by trying to conclude free trade agreements with the EU as everybody else is doing.Source: The Moscow Times
» Russia ‘regret’ over attack on Dutch diplomat
17/10/13 10:20 from The InterpreterThe Interpreter
Russia’s foreign ministry has expressed regret after a Dutch diplomat was beaten up in his Moscow apartment.
» Russia Condemns Polish Artist Over Statue of Soviet Soldier Raping a Woman
16/10/13 20:00 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
The Russian ambassador to Poland has denounced as blasphemous "pseudo-art" a statue depicting a Soviet soldier raping a pregnant woman, which briefly appeared in Gdansk over the weekend.
» Report: 30 Million Slaves Worldwide
17/10/13 01:29 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The report says China is home to 2.9 million slaves, Pakistan has 2.1 million, and there are 516,000 in Russia.
"If you have a situation in which the national government is requiring people to work and there is a penalty if they do not go to work and if they are enforcing those penalties with force and threats, then you are approaching a situation that could be called state slavery," a report author says.
» Coming Out Day Ends in Fights, Arrests
16/10/13 20:00 from The St. Petersburg Times
LGBT rights activists were prevented from holding an authorized Coming Out Day event on Saturday and were harassed and beaten by anti-gay protesters and arrested by the police.
» Baryshnikov Latest Celebrity to Condemn Russian 'Gay Propaganda' Law
16/10/13 20:00 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
Legendary ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov has spoken out against Russia's "gay propaganda" law, joining a score of other celebrities to have denounced the legislation, including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Elton John.
» Russia Wants Visa-Free Travel With EU From 2014
17/10/13 09:59 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
Russia wants to begin drafting a deal on visa-free travel with the EU early next year, a senior Russian diplomat said.
» ‘Drop piracy charges against Greenpeace activists’ Nobel laureates implore Russia’s President Putin
17/10/13 18:58 from The InterpreterThe Interpreter
Eleven Nobel Peace Prize laureates have written a letter to President Vladimir Putin calling for piracy charges against environmental activists to be dropped.
» Greenpeace 'Arctic 30' families appeal to Russia to expedite their release
16/10/13 18:22 from World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk
British protesters' families meet Foreign Office officials and say they hope for solution before protesters reach Russian courtsRelatives of some of the six Britons held in Russia on piracy charges following a Greenpeace demonstration in...
» Angela Merkel pressures Putin over Arctic 30 arrests
17/10/13 10:08 from World news: Russia | guardian.co.uk
The detention of Greenpeace activists needs a swift resolution, the German chancellor told the Russian president in a phone callGerman chancellor Angela Merkel told Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday of her concerns over the ...
» Angela Merkel increases the pressure on Russia by demanding release of Greenpeace activists
16/10/13 19:46 from - Europe RSS Feed
The pressure is mounting on the Russian President Vladimir Putin to release the Arctic 30 after the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, personally telephoned him to demand he set free the 28 Greenpeace campaigners and two journalists bei...
» Moscow politician pushed off stage in row over building in historic area
17/10/13 17:35 from - Europe RSS Feed
A Moscow politician known for her campaigns against illegal construction was knocked unconscious when a fight broke out at a public hearing over the demolition of two historic buildings in the city centre.
» How Wealthy Russians Buy a 2nd Passport
17/10/13 17:26 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
When Nuri Katz, founder of investment firm Apex Capital, heads for the customs gate, he gets to decide which of his three passports to use - a privilege that his Russian clients would pay up to 5 million euros to enjoy.
» Russia to Spend $370M on Limousines for Officials
17/10/13 11:30 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
The government will spend 12 billion rubles ($372 million), on the development of limousines for high-ranking government officials, a news report said Thursday.
» Sergei Sobyanin
16/10/13 16:17 from The InterpreterThe Interpreter
“Moscow is a Russian city and it should remain that way. It is not Chinese, Tajik or Uzbek… People who speak Russian badly and who have a different culture are better off living in their own country.”
Mike Nova comments: Amazingly xenophobic remarks from a mayor of one of the largest "European" cities! Mr. Sobyanin, if I may ask you, and who are you, sir? And where are you from yourself? Your nationality is designated as "Russian" only nominally (and what is "Russian nationality" anyway: it does not exist and is very, very mixed), and your habitus and appearance show clearly Siberian-Asiatic ethnic origins. And who are you then to tell "Chinese, Tajik or Uzbek…" not to live in Moscow? If they do not practice Russian, they will never learn it; if they do not experience Russian culture, they will never know what it is. This is a very wrong, narrow-minded approach to this issue and may make it even more of a problem, because people from all the different places will keep coming and you will not be able to stop them anyway. Equality and universal observance of Law - this seems to me to be more practical and probably much more efficient approach.
» Uzbek Man Stabbed to Death in Biryulyovo
16/10/13 20:00 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
The body of an Uzbek man with multiple stab wounds was found Tuesday in Moscow's Biryulyovo district, near the scene of recent riots by Russian nationalists against the increasing presence of migrants from the Caucasus and Central Asia.
» Azerbaijani, Uzbek Citizens Found Murdered In Moscow
16/10/13 11:17 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
An Azerbaijani citizen has been found dead from an apparent stabbing in Moscow's eastern Izmailovo district, the second murder of a non-Russian in as many days.
» Small Retailers Squeezed Out Of Moscow in Migrant Crackdown
16/10/13 20:00 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
Following a recent eruption of ethnically motivated street violence, Moscow's migrant-populated food markets and warehouses continue to serve as the front line in an ongoing fight against illegal immigrants declared by mayor Sergei Sobya...
» Russia Cracks Down On Immigrant Home Buyers - Forbes
16/10/13 19:48 from Russia - Google News
Tne Moscow NewsRussia Cracks Down On Immigrant Home BuyersForbesRussia's Mercury Tower in Moscow's financial district. The mixed-used property is the tallest building in Europe. Russia's crackdown on foreign ownership of real...
» How Biryulyovo Succeeded Where Bolotnaya Failed
17/10/13 17:18 from The InterpreterThe Interpreter
We’ve been writing about not only the events concerning the race riots in Moscow, but also the reaction of the government and the various politicians and media outlets. One concern cited by several voices is that the Russian govern...
» Biryulyovo Vs. Bolotnaya: A Tale Of Two Riots
17/10/13 10:28 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Moscow this weekend was rocked by its worst nationalist violence in years. But the authorities appear to be treating the rioters with kid gloves. Law enforcement's handling of the riots in Moscow's Biryulyovo district contrasts sharply w...
» Azerbaijan protests over Russia's handling of murder suspect - Reuters
17/10/13 16:56 from Russia - Google News
Trend.azAzerbaijan protests over Russia's handling of murder suspectReutersBAKU (Reuters) - Azerbaijan said on Thursday it has protested to Russia about police treatment of an Azeri migrant suspected of killing an ethnic Russian man
» Russia Sends Azerbaijani Murder Suspect To Pretrial Detention
17/10/13 11:03 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
A court in Moscow has sent the Azerbaijani citizen suspected in the high-profile killing of a Russian man into pretrial detention until December 10.
» Immigrant Held in Killing of Russian Claims Self-Defense, Officials Say
17/10/13 10:29 from The InterpreterThe Interpreter
An Azerbaijani man arrested in the killing of a 25-year-old Russian man that set off an anti-immigrant rampage over the weekend in Moscow confessed to the crime, Russian officials said Wednesday, but he told investigators that he acted i...
» Putin's Billionaire Ally Buys Half of Tele2 Russia Operator - Bloomberg
17/10/13 15:51 from Russia - Google News
Putin's Billionaire Ally Buys Half of Tele2 Russia OperatorBloombergPresident Vladimir Putin's billionaire ally Yury Kovalchuk is buying half of Tele2 Russia Holding AB with partners, seeking to make the wireless carrier a strong...
» VTB Sells 50% Tele2 Stake to Billionaire Consortium
17/10/13 12:33 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
State bank VTB has agreed to sell 50 percent of Tele2 Russia, turning a quick profit and gaining investors with the expertise that could help it to challenge the dominance of the country's big three mobile phone operators.
» Suspected Biryulyovo Killer Rescinds Confession
17/10/13 15:10 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
Azerbaijan wants to provide consular support to an Azeri accused of a killing that triggered ethnic riots in Moscow's Biryulyovo district, the country's ambassador said, as the suspect rescinded his confession in the case.
» Ukraine's Yanukovych Ready To Release Tymoshenko For Treatment Abroad
17/10/13 12:27 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The EU's enlargement commissioner and Yulia Tymoshenko's daughter both say they expect the jailed former Ukrainian prime minister to be released for medical treatment abroad before next month's European Union summit.
» Russian scientists recover giant chunk of meteorite from bottom of lake
17/10/13 11:37 from - Europe RSS Feed
Russian scientists have recovered a giant chunk of the Chelyabinsk meteorite from the bottom of the lake it crashed into.
» Russian Scientists Report Virulent New HIV Strain
17/10/13 08:36 from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Novosibirsk's Koltsovo science city said in a statement on October 16 that the subtype of the HIV virus -- known as 02_AG/A -- was first detected in Novosibirsk in 2006 and now accounts for more than 50 percent of the registered cases in...
» New HIV Strain in Russia Spreading Rapidly, Scientists Say
16/10/13 15:49 from The Moscow Times Top Stories
A scientific research center in Siberia said Wednesday that it has discovered a new strain of HIV in Russia and that the virus is spreading "at a rapid rate."
» Former Hungarian Official Charged With War Crimes in 1956 Uprising
16/10/13 14:39 from NYT > Europe
Bela Biszku, a 92-year-old former interior minister, was on a committee of the Communist Party that ordered the shooting of Hungarians who rose up against Soviet rule more than half a century ago.
Mike Nova comments: Better late than never.
