DISINFO: Foreigners meddling to stoke up discord between Russians and migrants
SUMMARY
The enemies of Russia continue to rock the boat. One of the main goals of the attack at Crocus City Hall was to sow discord between Russians and migrants, and potentially between Christians and Muslims. Certain forces, primarily from abroad, are trying to give these problems an ethnic, interfaith, and even racial character. They believe there is potential here to involve representatives of many peoples, including native Russians, in a conflict. They aim to open a "second Ukrainian front," initially virtual, "ideological," and see how it evolves.
RESPONSE
The claim was made in connection with the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack in Moscow after several Tajiks were arrested in connection with the attack.
Human Rights Watch said on April 5, 2024:
“Migrants from Central Asia and other people of non-Slavic appearance are facing a notable increase in ethnic harassment and attacks in Russia in the wake of the March 22, 2024 attack on a concert hall on the outskirts of Moscow. The authorities should stop their ethnic profiling of Central Asian migrants, arbitrary arrests, and prolonged detention, and instead ensure their safety, thoroughly investigate all xenophobic incidents and hold those responsible to account.”
Human rights defenders say they are flooded with calls and requests for assistance from Central Asian migrants. A prominent Russian research organisation Sova has reported a spike in violence by ultra-nationalists against people they identify as non-Slavs and migrants.
Rather than condemn the xenophobic violence and harassment, Russian authorities have carried out raids and checks against migrants from Central Asia. In Moscow, police officers forcibly entered the apartment of Manas Joldoshbekov, the counsellor of the Kyrgyzstan Embassy in Russia, to verify the legality of his residence as a foreigner within the Russian Federation. They broke down the door to check his documents, violating the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 on diplomatic immunity.
Authorities from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan—the primary countries of origin for many migrants to Russia—have each released statements advising their citizens against participating in large gatherings in Russia, stay home and urging them to postpone their travel to Russia.
Court cases against migrants for alleged violations of migration regulations appear to have increased by 70 percent above average for 2024 in the week following the attack, Human Rights Watch said based on its analysis of the best available court data.
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