Rostov: prosecutor's office ready to check threats addressed to leader of "Young Europe"

Konstantin Baranov, leader of the Rostov-on-Don branch of the all-Russian organization "Young Europe", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he was summoned to the Regional Prosecutor's Office in the context of his statements that appeared in media about threats, which he receives from neo-Nazis.

We remind you that Baranov began receiving telephone calls and Internet message with threats after he had addressed the Prosecutor's Office with a request to give legal estimate of the companies, performing in the "bas Bochka" Club, and of their songs. In the opinion of the leader of local "Young Europe", songs of some of the companies contain appeals to racial and ethnic enmity.

According to Mr Baranov, he had a call from the Regional Prosecutor's Office with expression of their concern of the situation and assertion that it was "absolutely excluded" that information about his application could leak from the Office; then, he was invited to come and file application about the threats.

Earlier, Konstantin told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that in recent time Rostov-on-Don became a popular venue for concerts, to which right-wing ultras come from many Russian regions.

He has also noted that in early June, 2009, his organization delivered the information about the would-be actions of neo-Nazis to the Extremism Fighting Centre to the GUVD (Chief Interior Administration) of the Rostov Region; then, the spokesman of "Young Europe" publicly announced the problem at the roundtable "Extremism and Crime Problems in Youth Environment", which was held on June 17 this year. The event was attended by officials of the GUVD, Regional Prosecutor's Office and local Department of the FSB (Federal Security Bureau).

On July 9, the organization sent a letter to the Prosecutor's Office of the Rostov Region asking to warn the club managers about inadmissibility of extremist activity.

However, according to Konstantin Baranov, so far, no actions were taken by law enforcers. Instead, on July 15, messages appeared in the Internet addressed to "all Rostov right-wingers" and claiming Baranov as "the enemy of Russia and rightful cause"; the messages gave his name, website address and mobile phone number, as well as information about his application to law enforcement bodies and an appeal "adequately respond" to it. Threats began immediately after. The web-page of "Young Europe" in the "In Contact" social network suffered from a spam-attack initiated by right-wing radicals.