Extremists attack native of Armenia in Moscow

A native of Armenia sustained a wound in a fight with the use of cold steel in the southeast of Moscow. The incident occurred in Polbin St at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, 5 December, sources in law enforcement agencies told Interfax.

According to an interlocutor of Interfax, there was a fight between workers from CIS states and some young men. The looks of the young men, as the source remarked, indicated their membership of extremist nationalistic organisations: their hair was close-cut and they wore short jeans and military-style boots.

The victim is an Armenian national, Mger Zhangarian, 34, resident in the Penza region, Russia, according to Radio Echo of Moscow. The attackers looked about 17 years of age, according to eyewitnesses of the incident. Mr Zhangarian sustained numerous non-penetrating knife wounds and was hospitalised.

A criminal case under Part 2 of Article 112 and Part 2 of Article 213 of the Russian Criminal Code (deliberate infliction of medium physical harm and hooliganism) was opened in connection with the fact, RIA Novosti says.

A press release of the Moscow prosecutor's office indicates though that preliminary interrogation of witnesses does not confirm that members of informal youth organisations took part in the fight, which is actually in line with the usual reluctance of law enforcement agencies to admit significant skinhead numbers in Russia.