Two police
officers in Kaluga, Russia face extremism charges, according to a
January 28, 2010 report by the Regnum news agency. According to
prosecutors, on September 27, 2009 police detained two citizens of
Uzbekistan on administrative charges. The two officers then allegedly
assaulted the Uzbeks out of racist motives.
Prosecution
of police officers under hate crimes or extremism statutes is extremely
rare in Russia, despite widespread reports of racial profiling and
police violence against minorities. The officers then allegedly forced
other detainees to assault the Uzbeks, threatening to hurt them if they
didn't. The officers also face charges of "exceeding official
authority"--the closest equivalent to a torture statute in the Russian
Criminal Code. If convicted on all counts, the officers face up to 15
years in prison.
