According to a group of Tajikistani students, over 100 of them allegedly fell victim to physical assault by police officers in Khabarovsk. The students remain unaware of the motives behind this mistreatment. Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University refuted any knowledge of the incident involving its students. Radio Ozodi relayed this information on May 23rd.
A group of Tajik students at Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University alleges that on May 19th they were assaulted in their dormitory. Police and secret service officers (FSB) forcefully entered their rooms, disabled the video surveillance cameras, and battered them.
Recalling the incident, one student, who requested anonymity, described how the masked officers, armed with pistols, stun guns, and tactical gloves with finger inserts resembling knuckles, unleashed violence. Any inquiry about the motives behind the beatings only led to further blows, as revealed by Radio Ozodi.
Several students claimed to have suffered injuries necessitating surgical intervention. Subsequently, the students were lined up in the corridor for document verification. Six of them were singled out for interrogation. The Tajik students sought assistance by contacting the Tajik Embassy in Russia.
Komsomolsk-on-Amur State University issued a statement that the information concerning the mass beating of Tajik students was false. University maintains that the law enforcement agencies conducted the inspection "legally and appropriately." They believe that the altercation ensued when four foreign students impeded officers from "performing their duties," a situation promptly “addressed by the law enforcement agents.”
However, the university provided no details regarding the grounds for the raid, the nature of the police intervention, and the actions the students were attempting to undertake.
In May 2023, residents of Novosibirsk demanded stricter migration policies in Russia. They voiced concerns over migrant-related violence and attributed the presence of newcomers in local markets as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism.
Governor Vladislav Shapsha of the Kaluga region also highlighted his efforts to combat the challenges posed by migrants. He proposed a mandatory five-year residency requirement for migrants in Russia before granting citizenship to their relatives. Shapsha has already implemented restrictions on foreign employment in the catering, transport, and trade sectors, vowing to curtail the number of patents enabling migrants to enter the region.
