Damir Zaynullin
Damir Tahir ulı Zaynullin (Russian: Дамир Тагирович Зайнуллин, Tatar: Дамир Таһир улы Зайнуллин ; ~ - 1 July 2007), was a 23 year-old Saint-Petersburg-born ethnic Tatar and a graduate of the Agricultural University, who was brutally murdered on July 1, 2007, by a gang of 17. Presumably, but not proved, that the killers were Russian far-right skinheads. While on his way to work, he was killed on Stachek Prospect, 79, near Avtovo station of Saint Petersburg Metro not far from police precinct number 31.
The security cameras seem to indicate that 17 attackers were involved, one of them a young woman. The murder was an awful act. The skinheads first ripped open Damir's belly to prevent him from running away, then beat him severely, and finally, used a broken glass bottle to cut his arteries causing him to bleed to death. This deliberate assassination of a young man, who had graduated only a day before he was killed, was not even covered by the mainstream media in Saint Petersburg.[1] However, it took resonance in the Tatar and anti-fascist media, and is often seen as a racist attack.[2][3] Damir has been buried in the Southern Cemetery of Saint Petersburg, on 7 July, 2007.
8 suspects have been arrested, but, unexplainable, all were released later without charges. The supposed criminal Mariya Khapilina gave herself up 13 July 2007.
Death contorversy
Many anti-facsist commitees and Tatar cultural associassions organizations, as well as BTIÜ state that Zaynullin was killed as the result of ultra-nationalist attack. Probably, this is the first skinhead attack, resulting a death of ethnic Tatar, generally considered not to be a target of far-right skinheads. However, Khapilina's father disagrees with these statements and asserts that Khapilina is of Tatar ethnicity. [4][5]
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Damir Zaynullin
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From this "Avtovo" subway station Damir was walking towards his death.
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In front of this building skinheads caught up with Damir.
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Next to this wall Damir was murdered.
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Place of Damir's death.
External links
- Blog devoted to Damir Zaynullin Template:Ru icon
- Vil Mirzayanov's speech on Damir Zaynulдin's assasination Template:Tt icon
References
- ^ The St. Petersburg Times. Gang of 17 Kills Tatar In Attack // Galina Stolyarova
- ^ July 13, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- The Tatar community in St. Petersburg says a young man who was murdered in early July was the victim of a racist attack.
- ^ UCSJ: Neo-Nazis Murder St. Petersburg Student
- ^ Template:Ru icon Молодёжь Татарстана. Смуглые времена moltat.ru / Избранные публикации "МТ" / Эксклюзив / №28 от 20 июля 2007 года /
- ^ Template:Ru icon Татарский оскал русского фашизма АПН Северо-Запад