The activist, Timur Kacharava, and a friend were stabbed to death in St. Petersburg in November 2005.
The jury found one of the seven defendants guilty of murdering Kacharava. The others were found guilty of committing violence and inciting ethnic hatred.
Russia has seen a surge in racially motivated crime in recent years. On July 31, the chairman of the Council of Muftis of Russia condemned the spread of racist ideology in Russia, and called on authorities to do more to combat hate crimes.
(AP)
Epidemic Of Hate
Yusuf Sultonov, whose 9-year-old daughter was beaten and stabbed to death in St. Petersburg on February 9, 2004 (TASS)
EXTREMISM ASCENDANT: More than half of Russians have xenophobic views, according to a report published in August 2005. In the report, rights groups say that -- despite progress in some areas -- racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism remain rife in Russia. But what worries watchdogs most are recent moves by nationalist-patriotic movements to form paramilitary groups....(more)
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