Russian Court Jails Five For Racist Attacks

(RFE/RL) March 28, 2006 -- A court in the Russian city of Novosibirsk today convicted five members of an extremist group of racially motivated attacks on Tajik and Uzbek nationals and sentenced them to between six and 10 years in prison.

Another three members of the White Brotherhood group who were underage at the time the crimes were committed were given suspended sentences.

The group's leader has been declared mentally ill and will face a separate trial.

All nine were arrested in 2002 after they attacked a Tajik national, stabbing him 18 times. The man survived the attack. Prosecutors accused them of participating in other similar attacks as well.

All defendants had pleaded not guilty. The trial lasted 2 1/2 years.

(ITAR-TASS, NTV)