by Tony Iozzo
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

MOSCOW, Russia – Russian authorities have detained over 1,600 immigrants in Moscow, apparently in response to a protest lobbying for increase policing of ethnic immigrants all throughout Russia.

Roughly 200 Russians in the Biryulyovo district organized a protest to call for stricter policing of minority immigrants. This was the second day of protests in Russia after the fatal stabbing of a Russian citizen that many believe was conducted by an immigrant.

Yegor Shcherbakov, 25 years old, was stabbed in front of his fiancé last Thursday while they were on their way home in the Biryulyovo district of Moscow, according to police. Surveillance cameras in the area have been examined and suggest the suspect could either be from Central Asia or from the Caucasus region.

Sunday’s demonstration broke out with nationalist chants of “white power” and “Russia for Russians.” The protest quickly escalated into an attack on migrant workers at a vegetable stand in the Biryulyovo district. About 380 people were eventually arrested after demonstrators smashed windows and set fire to shops, and had beaten many migrant workers.

“We are scared to walk the streets at night. [The immigrants] are always attacking, stealing from and killing people. They don’t even abide by basic rules like stopping at a red light,” stated one protestor, Alexei Zhuravlyov.

Apparently in response to Sunday’s protest and attack, Russian police rounded up 1,200 immigrants on Monday at a wholesale vegetable market employing immigrants in Biryulyovo. An additional 450 immigrants were detained in northeastern Moscow, also near a vegetable market employing immigrant workers. Police said all the immigrants were detained in order to check whether they were involved in any wrongdoing, but they have not been accused of any specific crime.

Human Rights and Advocacy groups have warned immigrants from those Russian regions of an increased risk of attacks in the worst ethnic disturbance in Moscow in years.

“The nationalists are pursuing their political goals. This is clearly very dangerous. We are warning migrants to be careful for now in crowded areas and on public transportation,” said Mukhamad Amin, head of the Federation of Migrants of Russia.

For more information, please see:

Al-Jazeera – Russia Detains Scores of Migrants After Riots – 15 October 2013

BBC News – Migrants Arrested in Moscow Raids – 14 October 2013

NY Times – Moscow Police Round Up Targets of Riot at Market – 14 October 2013

Russia Tomorrow – Over 380 Detained After Anti-Migrant Riot in Southern Moscow – 13 October 2013

The Voice of Russia – Police Detain 380 People After Anti-Migrant Riot in Southern Moscow – 13 October 2013