St. Petersburg governor compares murder of Tajik girl with terrorist act

St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko ordered local police chief Mikhail Vanichkin to take all measures to find and punish the criminals who killed a nine-year old Tajik girl.

"The news of the brutality of juvenile bastards who killed the little girl aroused my indignation. Words fail to convey my feelings," the governor said at the municipal government meeting on Tuesday.

"The yesterday's crime in our city is akin to the terrorist act in the Moscow subway. These are similar phenomena. We are fighting against terrorism and should carry on an uncompromising fight against any nationalistic acts in our great city. It hurts me more that such barbarities happen in St. Petersburg, which has always been a multinational city, tolerant to other nationalities and religions. Our common hatred for villains can protect people. We should combat evil together," Matviyenko noted.

The little girl was murdered last night. A group of young people with knives attacked a Tajik national, his daughter, 9, and his nephew, 11. The boy and the man had cerebral injuries and the girl was stabbed to death.

Criminal proceedings were initiated.