Angolan refugee murdered near UNHCR's Moscow refugee centre

UNHCR has called on Russian authorities and civil society to prevent racist attacks after an Angolan refugee died as a result of injuries sustained in a gang attack outside UNHCR's refugee reception centre in Moscow on August 23.

By Jennifer Clark

10 September 2001

West Timor: IDPs in Kupang, near GOR sports stadium.

MOSCOW, Sept 10 (UNHCR) - An Angolan refugee who was severely beaten in a gang attack outside UNHCR's refugee reception centre in Moscow on August 23 has died as a result of his injuries.

Massa Mayoni was attacked along with five other African refugees by a group of Russian teenagers wielding baseball bats and broken bottles. The other refugees managed to escape, but Mr. Mayoni was caught and beaten so seriously he went into a coma and never fully regained consciousness. He died in hospital on September 5. He leaves behind a Russian wife and two children.

Following the attack, UNHCR wrote to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and to the mayor of Moscow to voice its concerns over the serious threats to refugees and asylum seekers in the Russian Federation, and to request urgent intervention to improve security at the Moscow refugee centre. A criminal investigation has been opened in the case, but no suspects have been arrested so far.