More than 100 people have fallen victim to hate crimes in Russia so far this year, Sova, a watchdog for extremism and xenophobia, said in a monthly review published on its web site Monday.
Among the victims, 16 people were killed, 90 were injured, and seven received death threats.
This compares with 26 killed and at least 276 injured over the same period last year.
This year's victims included opposition and religious activists and dark-skinned people from Central Asia and elsewhere.
Most of this year's hate crimes, like in previous years, were registered in Moscow, the Moscow region and St. Petersburg. Seven people were killed and 19 injured in Moscow, four were killed and seven injured in the Moscow region, and three were killed and 22 injured in St. Petersburg.
(MT)