Timur Kacharava
Encyclopedia
Timur Kacharava (August 21, 1985 – November 13, 2005) was a Russia
n rock musician and anti-fascist
activist of Georgian
origin. He was murdered at the age of 20 by members of a far right nationalist
group in St. Petersburg.
. He studied at Saint Petersburg State University
and was involved in a student anti-fascist and anarchist group that organized anti-fascist demonstrations and philanthropic actions. In 2003, he founded the hardcore punk
band Sandinista!, for which he played guitar. In 2005, he also played for the crust punk band Distress, which toured Sweden
.
On November 13, 2005, Kacharava was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg’s Vosstaniya Square
after sharing meals for Food Not Bombs, receiving five wounds in the neck. A companion was also stabbed and seriously wounded. Observers believed that the attack may have been motivated by his activism in the anti-fascist movement.
, to find and punish the murderers. In December 2005, police arrested seven suspects who eventually admitted to the crime. On August 7, 2007, Alexander Shabalin was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of a murder and incitement to ethnic or racial hatred. Six other members of the gang, who held Kacharava and prevented him from resisting, were charged with inciting social hatred, and were given suspended sentence
s.
The main defendant in the trial was 14 years old.
Russian human rights association Agora considered the trial as the most important achievement of human rights defenders in Russian courts in 2007.
Kacharava’s family, friends and colleagues remained convinced that Kacharava was the victim of an organized and well-armed neo-Nazi
group. His friends testified that he had been followed, received threats by telephone, and been targeted before. According to Galina Stolyarova citing the victim family's lawyer in Transitions Online
, the court accepted the scenario in which the murderer claimed he had spontaneously suggested beating up an anti-fascist activist, and did not charge the other assaulters as accomplices in the murder. Kacharava’s death led some of Russia’s young anti-fascists to change tactics and use violence against neo-Nazis and racists.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n rock musician and anti-fascist
Anti-fascism
Anti-fascism is the opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals, such as that of the resistance movements during World War II. The related term antifa derives from Antifaschismus, which is German for anti-fascism; it refers to individuals and groups on the left of the political...
activist of Georgian
Georgians
The Georgians are an ethnic group that have originated in Georgia, where they constitute a majority of the population. Large Georgian communities are also present throughout Russia, European Union, United States, and South America....
origin. He was murdered at the age of 20 by members of a far right nationalist
Radical nationalism in Russia
Radical nationalism in Russia refers to some far-right and some far-left extremist nationalist movements and organizations. Of note, the term "nationalist" in Russia often refers to radical nationalism. However, it is often mixed up with "fascism" in Russia. While this terminology does not exactly...
group in St. Petersburg.
Biography
Kacharava was born into the family of an army officer near ChernobylChernobyl
Chernobyl or Chornobyl is an abandoned city in northern Ukraine, in Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city had been the administrative centre of the Chernobyl Raion since 1932....
. He studied at Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
and was involved in a student anti-fascist and anarchist group that organized anti-fascist demonstrations and philanthropic actions. In 2003, he founded the hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band Sandinista!, for which he played guitar. In 2005, he also played for the crust punk band Distress, which toured Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
On November 13, 2005, Kacharava was stabbed to death in St. Petersburg’s Vosstaniya Square
Vosstaniya Square
Vosstaniya Square is a major square in the Central Business District of Saint Petersburg, Russia. The square lies at the crossing of Nevsky Prospekt, Ligovsky Prospekt, Vosstaniya Street and Goncharnaya Street, in front of the Moskovsky Rail Terminal, which is the northern terminus of the line...
after sharing meals for Food Not Bombs, receiving five wounds in the neck. A companion was also stabbed and seriously wounded. Observers believed that the attack may have been motivated by his activism in the anti-fascist movement.
The response and the trial
Over 3,000 St. Petersburg State University students petitioned the President of Russia, Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
, to find and punish the murderers. In December 2005, police arrested seven suspects who eventually admitted to the crime. On August 7, 2007, Alexander Shabalin was sentenced to 12 years in prison on charges of a murder and incitement to ethnic or racial hatred. Six other members of the gang, who held Kacharava and prevented him from resisting, were charged with inciting social hatred, and were given suspended sentence
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
s.
The main defendant in the trial was 14 years old.
Russian human rights association Agora considered the trial as the most important achievement of human rights defenders in Russian courts in 2007.
Kacharava’s family, friends and colleagues remained convinced that Kacharava was the victim of an organized and well-armed neo-Nazi
Neo-Nazism
Neo-Nazism consists of post-World War II social or political movements seeking to revive Nazism or some variant thereof.The term neo-Nazism can also refer to the ideology of these movements....
group. His friends testified that he had been followed, received threats by telephone, and been targeted before. According to Galina Stolyarova citing the victim family's lawyer in Transitions Online
Transitions online
Transitions Online is a media development organization and online journal covering news and events in the 29 post-Communist countries of Eastern Europe, Central Europe, South Eastern Europe, Russia, the Baltics, the Caucasus, Central Asia.- History :...
, the court accepted the scenario in which the murderer claimed he had spontaneously suggested beating up an anti-fascist activist, and did not charge the other assaulters as accomplices in the murder. Kacharava’s death led some of Russia’s young anti-fascists to change tactics and use violence against neo-Nazis and racists.