A LEADING Moscow university has ordered its foreign students to remain in their dormitories for three days because of fears of ethnic violence around the time of Adolf Hitler's birthday.
The measure at the prestigious Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy, in line with warnings to foreigners issued by other schools and organisations in the past, underscored the government's inability to stem the growing xenophobia and racism.
At least
22 people have been killed and more than 130 injured in apparent hate crimes in Russia so far this year, according to the Sova human rights centre, which monitors xenophobia. Last year, 53 people were killed and 460 others injured, according to Sova.
Hundreds of students at the Sechenov Academy were told to stock up on food and warned they would not be let out of the dormitories until Sunday in what students said was an attempt to protect them from possible attacks by ultranationalists marking Hitler's birthday today.
Skinheads become more violent around the Nazi leader's birthday, and in the past have shouted slogans and staged attacks on dark-skinned foreigners and others who do not appear Slavic.
"It is nice that the university is taking care of us, but on the other hand it's absurd that our freedom is being limited because of some militant groups," said Liah Ganeline, a second-year medical student from Israel.
"In a normal, democratic country the authorities don't obey the interests of these groups, but, on the contrary, protect people from them," she said.
Only practising physicians in training were allowed to leave the building, she said, along with students who had signed a statement saying they were responsible for their own safety and had received approval from university officials. Others were given permission to miss classes.
Miss Ganeline said authorities have locked down her dormitory in southern Moscow - which houses about 500 students from Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus - every 20 April for the past several years. She said officials call it a fire safety drill.
Miss Ganeline said that all students were aware of the real reason, and noted that someone had scrawled the word "skinheads" over an announcement of the lockdown posted on a dormitory wall. Last year, a group of skinheads threw firebombs at the dormitory after shouting slogans and giving the Nazi salute.
Sergei Baranov, the acting dean of the university's foreign students department, said the school was conducting emergency drills throughout Saturday. Asked why only foreign students were involved in the exercise, Mr Baranov acknowledged that the university was at the same time trying to protect students from possible violence.
"It's horrible that this is happening," Miss Ganeline said.
"I feel disgusted by these things," Alex, a 22-year-old student from Azerbaijan, said by telephone from the dormitory, adding that he would not set foot outside the building for the next three days. "They are restricting our freedom."
Activists say authorities do little or nothing to combat the growing racism. They say obvious hate crimes are classified as mere hooliganism, ultranationalist websites are allowed to operate and some members of the Duma openly support radical nationalist organisations or ideas.
Alexander Brod, the head of the Moscow Bureau for Human rights, said authorities should do more to prosecute hate groups and protect foreign students rather than subject them to restrictions.
"The activity of radicals is significantly increasing," he said. "But the decisions of the university officials ... must not violate the freedom of movement of foreigners."
