Russian hate crimes kill 114 this year

MOSCOW, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- More than 100 people have died in Russia this year in incidents considered hate crimes, the Moscow Bureau for Human Rights said.

The nongovernmental group said it has documented 269 hate crimes in Russia through Nov. 15 and those attacks have resulted in 114 deaths and 357 people being injured, The Moscow Times said Thursday.

Bureau for Human Rights analyst Semyon Charny said the current economic crisis gripping most of the world could potentially increase hate crimes if unemployment rises dramatically in Russia. He told the Times some Russian citizens could blame immigrants for taking Russian jobs and respond with violence.

Charny's warning echoed that of Russian Holocaust Foundation head Alla Gerber, who said on Nov. 10 that economic hardship can significantly increase resentment among a country's residents, the Times reported.

"It's very easy to find an enemy when there are any economic difficulties and a loss of ideology," Gerber said.