Putin: riots in Moscow were provoked by authorities' idleness

The reason of mass disorders in Moscow was not in the murder of Yegor Sviridov, a football fan of "Spartak", but in the absence of the official authorities' response to this crime, said the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, while answering questions of Russian citizens live on air.

According to his story, the turmoil in Moscow "was provoked by the absence of the proper reaction of the authorities" to the murder, and by the fact that the people involved in the murder of the fan, were set free.

Also today, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has called, during his visit to the Ryazan UVD (Interior Department), to "imprison" the participants of riots and fights that took place in Moscow on December 11 and 15. According to Mr Medvedev, the responsibility for such crimes should be criminal, not administrative.

In his opinion, inciting interethnic hatred shall entail the appropriate punishment, because the Russian Federation is "a country with a great number of nationalities and religions."

"Such crimes should be appropriately qualified and entail appropriate punishments. If these punishments are insufficient under the existing criminal legislation, make your proposals to me," the "Interfax" quotes the President as saying.