YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Tensions between the Russian-Armenian community in Krasnodar and the local Russian community were blamed on Krasnodar authorities–announced the Russian Ethnic Congress president and Russia’s ombudsman on human rights issues Antoine Arakelian during a press conference in Yerevan Wednesday.
Arakelian stated that public statemen’s by and press accounts on the Krasnodar regional governor have come to show a pattern of racism toward minorities.
The human rights activist added that often times–the Armenian population in Krasnodar does not know where to turn for defense of its rights. According to Arakelian–the authorities in Armenia must also shoulder a portion of the blame–since the government does not have concrete measures to address issues relating to dispersed Armenia’s.
Furthermore–Arakelian stressed that the absence of an organized community with a coordination council–also adds to the process of sidestepping racial tensions and racially motivated actions against the community.
The Armenia’s of Krasnodar are the largest minority of the region. The Russian-Armenian community–in general–has seen a tremendous growth in the past several years as a result of immigration from Armenia.
The discrimination against the Armenian community comes from a general pejorative posturing in Russia toward the people of the Caucasus.
This so-called syndrome–according to Arakelian–has been successfully countered in St. Petersburg–where the community feels more secure that the communities in Moscow and Stavropol.
Arakelian was hopeful that state intervention might better the situation in those areas.