Krasnodar Territory Governor Condemned Cossacks, W

[MosJan]

KRASNODAR TERRITORY GOVERNOR CONDEMNED COSSACKS, WHO ARRANGED POGROM OF ARMENIANS IN NOVOROSSIYSK

 

07.04.2005 04:24

 

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Krasnodar Territory Governor Alexander Tkachev has condemned the actions of the Cossacks, who lately arranged a pogrom in suburbs of Novorossiysk, during which Armenians living there suffered, the Novye Izvestia newspaper reported. For the first time the Territory authorities gave an evaluation to inter-ethnic clashes in Kuban, in which Cossacks actively participate. «As the Governor I am responsible for all peoples, who live in the Territory. I am convinced that no emotions should turn a common crime into an inter-ethnic conflict,» Alexander Tkachev stated. «Those guilty should be punished in the most severe way to teach them not to do it again,» the Governor said. It should be reminded that Novorossiysk ataman Vladimir Petrusha got heavy knife injure in a scuffle between Cossacks and Armenians in the end of March. In a day groups of Cossacks of 100-200 persons arrived in the city and arranged disorders in Tsemdolina city district. As evidenced by witnesses, the crowd broke glass cases, cars, beat people of not Slavonic appearance. Then the Cossacks moved to Kuban house of culture and demanded that the local Armenian community give up the young man, guilty in their opinion in wounding the ataman, to the militia. At the time the Novorossiysk Internal Affairs Department refrained from comments, however right after the pogrom the suspect surrendered to the police. The pogrom took place at the time of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Armenia. Governor Tkachev and ataman of the Kuban Cossack Troops Vladimir Gromov were not in Kuban at the time either – they were on visit in the US. Noting that suspect is arrested, Territory Prosecutor Sergey Yeremin pledged to prefer charges against both Cossacks and Armenians. Kuban Cossacks ataman Vladimir Gromov promised to establish order and be strict with the subordinates on the matters of illegal actions. In the opinion of Novorossiysk Human Rights Committee head Vadim Karastelev, «all promises of Cossack leader that hooligan actions of Cossacks will be cut short are nothing but words. The Cossack leaders are not in control of actions of many of their detachments.»

 

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