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Jul 3, 2009, 13:35 GMT

Fewer extremist crimes in Russia, rights groups says

Moscow - Racially motivated killings in Russia have declined this year compared to 2008, following a crackdown against right-wing extremists, the Moscow Human Rights Office said Friday. Some 38 people died as a result of xenophobic attacks in the first half of 2009 compared to 69 in the same period last year, said Human Rights Office director Alexander Brod. 'The firm action taken by authorities has acted as a deterrent,' said Brod's assistant, Semyon Charny. Brod said the number of attacks by right-wing extremists during the period under review declined from 152 to 112 and the number of people injured was down from 152 to 112, Brod said. Brod said more time was needed to see if the action by the authorities would have a lasting effect. 'It can't be ruled out the extremists will step up their activities,' he said. The main target of attacks by skinheads are migrant workers from Central Asian republics such as Tajikistan. An increase in such attacks last year prompted rights groups to complain the government was not doing enough to combat the problem. Late last month, a Russian court sentenced the leader of a group of skinheads to 23 years in prison for at least 10 attacks that left two dead. Four other members of the group were jailed for 9 years. There are an estimated 70,000 right-wing extremists in Russia. Moscow, St Petersburg and the Volga city of Nishni Novgorod are hotbeds of xenophobic violence.

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