October 4th 2023.
The family of Gabonese-born doctoral student François Ndjelassili have been searching for answers in the wake of his untimely death in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The Ural Federal University student was reportedly approached by three men who called him a “negro” and stabbed outside a Burger King by two men in August 2023, according to Atlanta Black Star.
The family of Daniil Fomin, the man allegedly responsible for Ndjelassili's murder, has denied his affiliation with a Russian white supremacist group, The Moscow Times reports. However, news of Ndjelassili's death spread through Russia, leading to a neo-Nazi channel with close to 4,000 subscribers posting calls for support for his alleged killer. Fomin's family vehemently denied his association with the group and expressed that they'd been covering his legal fees.
Diana Akue, a friend of the former doctoral economics student, was present during the incident and has spent the last few months grappling with what she believes to be a race-based killing.
“We are all very scared, but we are at the same time angry,” she said. “As we’re not in our country, all we can do is just to be careful. But we are very scared because of what happened.”
For the more than 34,000 students from African countries currently studying in Russia, the potential ramifications of a hate crime against one of their community members has left them with a lingering fear. “If it’s true the killer was really from that white supremacist group, then who knows what could happen after the court ruling? These guys could get very upset about it,” Akue said.
The family of François Ndjelassili are still searching for answers and justice for their loved one, while the students from African countries in Russia are left to grapple with the fear of what could happen if the alleged killer is found to be affiliated with a white supremacist group.
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