Anti-Romani Hate Speech in Russia

10 August 2006

ERRC Urges Russian Newspaper to Refrain from Inflammatory Anti-Romani Language

Anti-Romani hate speech contributes to the growing intolerance toward Roma.

On 10 August 2006, the ERRC sent a letter of concern to Mr Nikolay Zaikov, Editor-in Chief of the Russian daily newspaper Vechernij Novosibirsk, expressing concern with the rise of anti-Romani hate speech published in the newspaper and with continuous identification of Roma with illegal drug dealing and crime. The letter referred to numerous articles published in the newspaper the ERRC has collected during the past year, which explicitly link Roma with drug dealing and criminality and which often quote officials making unsubstantiated comments about the same with no contextual or editorial remarks. The ERRC urged Mr Zaikov to take a firm stand against hate speech and to refrain from publishing inflammatory anti-Romani language.

Further information on anti-Romani hate speech in Russia is available in the ERRC country report "In Search of Happy Gypsies: Persecution of Pariah Minorities in Russia":

Copies of the ERRC letter to Mr. Zaikov are available from the offices of the ERRC.

Persons wishing to express similar concerns are urged to contact:

To: Mr Nikolay Zaikov,
Editor-in chief, newspaper "Vecherniy Novosibirsk"
Russia, Novosibirsk, Nemirovicha-Danchenko, 104
Tel./fax: +7 (383) 3141488

Mr Gennady Popriga
Director, Siberia region administration of Rosohrancultura
Russia, 630091, Novosibirsk, Krasniy prospect 82, kab. 45
Fax: +7 (3832)173911