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victims. A survey undertaken in Norway in 2019 suggested that only one in five hate crimes
were reported.
Russian Federation
45.
The Russian Federation articulated its strong condemnation of all manifestations of
racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Nazism and related intolerance and the continual
steps taken to address such phenomena within the country. The Government provided
information about the establishment, according to Presidential Decree, of the Strategy for
State Ethnic Policy of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025, which aims to prevent
and suppress attempts to incite racial, ethnic and religious intolerance, as well as the action
plan for implementation.
46.
The Government described systematic efforts to ensure the rights of citizens to receive
education in their native language and to uphold linguistic plurality within educational
institutions. Educational literature is offered in 35 native languages, and textbooks are
available in 21 languages, according to the information provided.
47.
The Russian Federation also provided information about efforts to support multiracial
organization and movements, including facilitating sporting events to break down racial
barriers. It offered examples of such sporting events, including those organized in the context
of the 2022 World Cup qualifying match.
48.
In addition, the Government detailed awareness-raising activities designed to
harmonize inter-ethnic relationships and facilitate communication. According to the
information provided, State television and radio channels give consistent attention to such
issues.
49.
The Russian Federation described relevant provisions in the Criminal Code to
prosecute acts of neo-Nazism, extremism, the distribution of extremist materials, incitement
and hate crimes. Russian law enforcement agencies continue working to identify extremist
organizations and ban their activities, particularly organizations based on the ideas of
National Socialism. Data provided from the Office of the Prosecutor General indicated that
280 crimes motivated by ethnic or racial hatred were investigated in 2021. A total of 2,300
persons were brought before the courts for the distribution of extremist materials and related
offences, the majority of whom were investigated for the posting of Nazi symbols on the
Internet. In all, in 2021, 5,600 violations of various laws on inter-ethnic relations were
recorded.
50.
The use of Internet forums for neo-Nazi activities is subject to regulation within the
Russian Federation, including under its Law on the Mass Media, No. 2124-4. Government
bodies, including the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information
Technology and Mass Media, are responsible for upholding these legal standards. The bodies
are mandated to prevent the spread of extremist materials, as well as to intervene when
extremist materials are found.
51.
Prosecutorial and investigative services, including specialist units, in the Russian
Federation are focused on responding to any glorification of Nazis and suppressing vandalism
of monuments and memorials to Soviet soldiers killed during the “Great Patriotic War”
(Second World War). The Office of the Prosecutor General is also working to prevent and
combat the resurgence of Nazi organizations and the distortion of the history of the War,
according to information provided. The Criminal Code contains provisions criminalizing the
rehabilitation of Nazism; they were used in an emblematic case in which a Russian academic
denied the facts of the Holocaust during a webinar.
52.
The Government of the Russian Federation also provided information about
investigations, including forensic analysis, into newly discovered burials of those thought to
have been killed in the Great Patriotic War. In the context of such investigations, the
Government has sought to expand cooperation with the authorities of foreign States. The
Russian Military Historical Society has been active in efforts to investigate newly discovered
burials. The group works to combat the glorification of Nazism and has undertaken projects
to disseminate information about relevant historical events and memorialization activities.
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