DUSHANBE, March 29, Asia-Plus – The Moscow-based international public association “People’s League ”Tajiks” does not agree with a verdict passed by Russian jury on murderers of Khursheda Sultonova.  “We consider this verdict unfair,” Karomat Sharipov, head of this public association, said.  

As it had been reported earlier a jury has found the main defendant on trial for the murder of a nine-year girl from Tajikistan not guilty, but convicted seven others of hooliganism.

Khursheda Sultonova was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg in February 2004.  She received eleven stab wounds.

The defendants were mostly teenagers at the time of the brutal attack, which is widely seen as one of the worst racially motivated crimes in Russia.  The jury cleared the main defendant of murder charges and convicted him of robbery and hooliganism.  Six others were found guilty of hooliganism charged with assaulting Khursheda, her father and 11-year-old cousin, and another was cleared of all charges.

“Despite the fact that Russian officials have repeatedly stating that in a multi-national Russia state should protect all residents irrespective of their ethnical belonging, a number of informal organizations propagating ideas of ethnic and religious intolerance has been increasing in the Russian Federation year out, said Sharipov, “And it will continue until the Russian authorities take appropriate measures.”  According to him, their organization denounces the ruling and vows to appeal to international judicial bodies. 

 In the meantime, lawyer representing the victim''s family, Natella Ponomaryova, said the jury had decided that the real murderers were still at large. The investigation into the attack established that 11 people had taken part in the assault.  Public prosecutor Svetlana Yefimenko said they were still certain that the defendant was guilty and his guilt had been proven and they would appeal against the decision.    

Russian media report that many international human rights organizations have called the jury’s verdict “moral catastrophe.”