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| Immigrant Held in Killing of Russian Claims Self-Defense, Officials Say | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| MOSCOW — An Azerbaijani man arrested in the killing of a 25-year-old Russian man that set off an anti-immigrant rampage over the weekend in Moscow confessed to the crime, Russian officials said Wednesday, but he told investigators that he acted in self-defense after trying to intervene in an argument between the man and his girlfriend. | MOSCOW — An Azerbaijani man arrested in the killing of a 25-year-old Russian man that set off an anti-immigrant rampage over the weekend in Moscow confessed to the crime, Russian officials said Wednesday, but he told investigators that he acted in self-defense after trying to intervene in an argument between the man and his girlfriend. |
| Russian officials also said that a broad crackdown on illegal immigrants in Moscow, begun after the rampage by local residents and hate groups on Sunday, would continue. | Russian officials also said that a broad crackdown on illegal immigrants in Moscow, begun after the rampage by local residents and hate groups on Sunday, would continue. |
| The anti-immigrant violence and vitriol has been some of the worst in recent memory, a boiling over of Moscow’s ever-simmering ethnic animosity. Tensions worsened in recent months, beginning with a series of raids in August before the city’s mayoral election in which more than 1,500 foreigners were detained. | The anti-immigrant violence and vitriol has been some of the worst in recent memory, a boiling over of Moscow’s ever-simmering ethnic animosity. Tensions worsened in recent months, beginning with a series of raids in August before the city’s mayoral election in which more than 1,500 foreigners were detained. |
| The suspect in the recent killing, Orkhan Zeinalov, 30, was shown on video released by the authorities saying that he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed the 25-year-old Russian, Yegor Sherbakov, last Thursday night. “I hit him with a knife,” Mr. Zeinalov said. “In general, I didn’t want a murder. I didn’t know that he died.” | The suspect in the recent killing, Orkhan Zeinalov, 30, was shown on video released by the authorities saying that he was acting in self-defense when he stabbed the 25-year-old Russian, Yegor Sherbakov, last Thursday night. “I hit him with a knife,” Mr. Zeinalov said. “In general, I didn’t want a murder. I didn’t know that he died.” |
| But Mr. Sherbakov’s girlfriend, Kseniya Popova, has told the authorities that a fight broke out between the two men after Mr. Zeinalov insulted her. | But Mr. Sherbakov’s girlfriend, Kseniya Popova, has told the authorities that a fight broke out between the two men after Mr. Zeinalov insulted her. |
| The authorities said that Mr. Zeinalov had lived in Russia for more than 10 years and worked as an unofficial cabdriver. “He has no permanent job and was a self-employed driver,” Vladmir Markin, a spokesman for the federal Investigative Committee, said. “It is known that he is hot-tempered, aggressive, abuses alcohol, has no permanent residence place in Moscow.” | The authorities said that Mr. Zeinalov had lived in Russia for more than 10 years and worked as an unofficial cabdriver. “He has no permanent job and was a self-employed driver,” Vladmir Markin, a spokesman for the federal Investigative Committee, said. “It is known that he is hot-tempered, aggressive, abuses alcohol, has no permanent residence place in Moscow.” |
| In the violence that followed the stabbing, local residents stormed a vegetable market where many immigrants work, beating immigrants, destroying stalls, overturning cars and clashing with the police. Officers arrested hundreds of people soon after the disturbances, and although many have been released, the authorities say that some of those suspected of carrying out attacks will be prosecuted. | In the violence that followed the stabbing, local residents stormed a vegetable market where many immigrants work, beating immigrants, destroying stalls, overturning cars and clashing with the police. Officers arrested hundreds of people soon after the disturbances, and although many have been released, the authorities say that some of those suspected of carrying out attacks will be prosecuted. |
| Investigators also said they were pursuing charges against the owners and operators of the market for employing illegal immigrants and other violations of labor and health laws. In addition, the chief of the Federal Migration Service, Konstantin Romodanovsky, announced that he had fired two officials responsible for the area where the violence occurred. | |
| The crackdown on illegal workers that began after the rampage has resulted in deportation orders for more than 80 people — most of them citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, a court spokeswoman told the Interfax news agency. | The crackdown on illegal workers that began after the rampage has resulted in deportation orders for more than 80 people — most of them citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, a court spokeswoman told the Interfax news agency. |
| In an example of the tension such cases can cause between Russia and its neighbors, the Azerbaijan Embassy said Wednesday that it had demanded that the Russian government allow consular officials to meet with Mr. Zeinalov. | In an example of the tension such cases can cause between Russia and its neighbors, the Azerbaijan Embassy said Wednesday that it had demanded that the Russian government allow consular officials to meet with Mr. Zeinalov. |
| Mayor Sergei S. Sobyanin of Moscow said in a speech to lawmakers on Wednesday that the authorities would work aggressively to combat illegal immigration. “The alert of the police and the migration service is not a fleeting campaign, which will stop at some point,” Mr. Sobyanin said. | Mayor Sergei S. Sobyanin of Moscow said in a speech to lawmakers on Wednesday that the authorities would work aggressively to combat illegal immigration. “The alert of the police and the migration service is not a fleeting campaign, which will stop at some point,” Mr. Sobyanin said. |
| “The suppression of ethnic crime, the detection of illegal migrant workers, the prevention of their crimes and the deportation of unwelcome elements from Moscow will continue,” he said. |