Russian human rights ombudsman calls for dialogue after disorder in Moscow
Moscow, 15 December: Head of the (Russian) presidential human rights council Mikhail Fedotov has said the riots in Moscow - clashes between radical nationalists and representatives of diasporas - were planned.
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"These were not spontaneous. Someone has specially organized them. Someone really needs to whip up tension so that a wave of violence sweeps the country," Fedotov told Interfax on Wednesday (15 December).
Clashes occurred in various districts of Moscow on Wednesday between groups of radical nationalist young people and representatives of national diasporas. The police detained around 1,000 people.
"The actions of our law-enforcement agencies who thwarted these clashes were absolutely correct. We are grateful to our police for professionalism in minimizing the consequences of this conflict," Fedotov said.
"We are carefully monitoring how events develop and we call all conflicting parties to restraint. Deciding who is right and who is guilty with fistfights is absolutely against the law and the spirit of today's times," Fedotov said.
"If Spartak (FC) fans and representatives of diasporas have questions that need to be discussed, let's sit down at the negotiating table. You cannot talk the language of fists and knives," he said.
Fedotov also said that the law-enforcement agencies should investigate the murder of Spartak fan Yegor Sviridov, which is what sparked the disorder in Moscow. (Passage omitted)
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