The department of Rossvyazokhrankultura for St Petersburg has made a warning to Novaya Gazeta in relation to a publication of 14 August where presented were quotations of DPNI’s (a nationalist organization) appeal to President Medvedev. 

According to anonymous specialists from the department above, the quotations contain the signs of extremist activity prohibited by Article 1, Clause 1 of the Federal Act “On resistance to extremist activities”. Such a position by the officials makes one perplexed, to put it mildly.   

Novaya Gazeta had published a material by Dina Davydova titled “Summer Camps For Genatsvale” where it was narrated about intentions by DPNI activists to set up “spot checks” of all the Georgian cafes, restaurants, casinos etc., with preliminary collection of information about all the places owned by Georgian citizens. The nationalists affirm that in case our people get informed properly, they would think themselves about how it could be possible to close down all those outlets. All that has been going on with complete inaction by the police. The author of the material was told in the St Petersburg GUVD (city’s interior department) that they would interfere only in case a violation of the law occurs during the spot checks. And the website of DPNI published an open letter to President Dmitry Medvedev where nationalists called to “internment of all the Georgian citizens”.     

Novaya Gazeta treated all that as possible creation of concentration camps and passing to fascism and as “kindling the ethnic hatred” and… was accused by Rossvyazokhrankultura exactly of what it had spoken against! The publication of fragments of the letter quoted was considered as an appeal intended for kindling the ethnic hostilities towards Russian citizens of Georgian origin, for infringement on rights, liberties and legal interests of a person made on the basis of a person’s nationality”. Besides, the department stated that it had been an “unofficial site” of the nationalists to be quoted and in case it had been otherwise there would have been no problems, as it is allowed quoting only “official websites”.         

“That’s all pickles” said Dmitry Dubrovsky, the director of the Human Rights Center, the expert for international relations and the research worker at the Ethnographic Museum. “First, it’s impossible to warn the society against the threat of some phenomenon if you don’t explain what this danger is about. Otherwise, you only can make unsubstantiated statements. With such logic, it should be banned to condemn actions by fascists, in the media, as it would be impossible telling about it without risk of being accused of fascism too. By the way, what kind of official site are we talking about, when DPNI is not registered officially? Another point is that whatever nasty the appeals by DPNI were, and all that must be condemned, however, that cannot be considered appeals to ethnic hatred, as ‘Georgian citizens’ are no nationality! There are people of different nationalities living in Georgia, like it is in Russia. This is no social, racial or religious group about which the kindling of hatred might be considered to be extremism. I do not see any reasons for blaming the newspaper…”  

The editor of St Petersburg’s branch of Novaya Gazeta Valery Ivanov said that in case the department does not cancel its absurd warning, the newspaper would take legal action.