Anarchist Black Cross

Several hours left before the official start of the World Hockey Championship 2014 in Belarus. Event that was planned in 2009 during another political thaw between the West and Lukashenko was constantly criticized by human rights and political organizations for support of Lukashenko’s political regime. Many groups called national hockey teams to boycott the championship, however International Federation of Ice Hockey decided once again that sport is standing apart from politics and retained the right for hosting championship in Minsk.

From now on, we are going to publish summaries of repressions against anarchists, antifascists and social activists in Russia on a regular basis, as well as on how the state opposes our activity. In the January-February issue: sudden amnesty of antifascists in Moscow, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, attempt to ban "Avtonom" zine due to

Anarchists, organizers of demonstration "Against the war in Ukraine" in Petrozavodsk, Russia were kidnapped and seriously injured by unknown people in masks.

On 9th of March, along with the traditional Food Not Bombs action, demonstration "Against the war in Ukraine" supposed to happen in Petrozavodsk, for a peaceful solution of tense situation there and prevention of bloodshed continuation.

We went and dropped two banners as a protest against treatment of Bolotnaya square demonstrators.

A sentence for Bolotnaya case is expected next monday, 24rd of December.

Our action was also in solidarity for all political prisoners.

Freedom for all political prisoners!

Anarchist Black Cross Helsinki on Sunday 23rd February, 2014

31st of January A-ryhmä and Anarchist Black Cross of Helsinki organised a support concert  Helsinki, with Jyrki Nissinen & Isotissinen, Euro Crack, Bunny and Max Peezay from Sweden. 

In end of the event, a support photo was taken for Joel, who is imprisoned in Sweden for defending anti-racist demonstration in Kärrtorp of Stockholm last December.  

On Friday 10th of January Basmanniy district court of Moscow ceased criminal case against Alexey Olesinov, Alexey Sutuga, Alyon Volikov and Babken Guskasyan. All four were accused of “hooliganism”, a criminal offense which is included in the amnesty bill, approved as a PR stunt on initiative of Vladimir Putin himself in advent of the Sochi Winter Olympics – most known amnestied political prisoners being 30 detainees of the Arctic Sunrise ship of Greenpeace, and two imprisoned members of Pussy Riot.

Program is preliminary, last minute changes are possible:

11:00 – 13:45 Presentations of projects and groups

13:45 – 14:45 Lunch

14:45 – 16:00 Feminist movement in Russia

16:15 – 17:30 Support in an anarchist community

17:45 – 19:00 Forest occupation struggle in Germany

19:00 – 20:00 Dinner

20:00 Evaluation discussion and continuation of BAWM

Program is preliminary, last minute changes are possible

10:00 – 11:15 Animal rights movement in Russia

11:30 - 12:45 Local environmental struggles in St. Petersburg

12:45 – 13:45 Lunch

13:45 – 15:00 Activism, human rights and queer movement in Armenia

15:15 – 16:30 Struggle for free spaces in St. Petersburg

16:45 – 18:00 Supporting Russian political prisoners

18:00 – 19:00 Dinner

On Thursday the 28th of November, the Lenin district court of the city of Tyumen upheld the request of the prosecutor of said district in recognizing five articles of the journal Avtonom as “extremist.”

Denis Levkin has been imprisoned since February 2013. He was detained when the police stormed the squatted warehouse near the former Varshavsky Station in St Petersburg, Russia, and charged under article 318 part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code (use of violence dangerous for health or life against an officer). St Petersburg anarchists have taken an active part in occupation and defence of the warehouse, and the St Petersburg Anarchist Black Cross cannot ignore the trial in Levkin's case, which is now under way.

Ilya Romanov, a 46-years old Russian anarchist, was wounded on 26th of October 2013. According to authorities, this happened when a homemade bomb suddenly went off in his hands. The accident happened next to a building occupied by Russian Army draft office.

Local police stated that the homemade bomb exploded early in the morning on saturday in the hands of anarchist. His left hand was torn off. The man was placed in hospital.

The first Baltic Anarchist Meeting was held in Tallinn, Estonia in May 2012. The meeting was attended by many anarchists from many countries and the atmosphere was good and exciting. Second gathering will be arranged 5.1.2014 in Helsinki, a day after Father frost against Putin-festival.

It is estimated that during Russia's New Year's holiday Finland is visited by hundreads of thousands Russian guests. Only in Helsinki there will be at least 130.000 visitors. Many of them want to make rebellion plans to get rid of Putin's regime and they 'hide' their visit as a normal family holiday without anykind of control by FSB or Center of Extermism. 

In Kupoli, Uusi ylioppilastalo, Mannerheimintie 5 B 7th floor on Sunday November 3th 

Food available 4pm, Lecture 4.30pm

Theme of the lecture is social role of imprisonment and ideologies behind it, and mechanism of power in the prison system.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/442929619150473/

Disturbances is an open series of lectures and discussions at the crossroads of society, philosophy, history, economy and resistance.

On Tuesday, October 1, Moscow’s Basmanny District Court extended until February 6, 2014, the arrest of Alexei Gaskarov, whom police investigators suspect of involvement in the “mass riots” on Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012. Gaskarov has been charged with violating Article 212, Section 2 (participation in mass riots) and Article 318, Section 1 (use of violence against authorities) of the Russian Federal Criminal Code.

Yauhen Vas’kovich spent 10 days in a punishment cell at the beginning of August. He regularly writes and calls his mother. The prisoner prefers not to have a lawyer, because he thinks it is pointless. The next date with relatives is planned on January.

In Kupoli, Uusi ylioppilastalo, Mannerheimintie 5 B 7th floor on Sunday October the 6th 

Food available 4pm, Lecture 4.30pm

Friedship-, collaboration ja mutual assistance -netwotk (YYA) promotes peaceful cooperation between the people of Russia and Finland supporting revolution in Russia (why not in Finland too?)

He will be under police supervision for 6 months after the release.

Aliaksandr Frantskevich, who served his term in correctional colony No. 22 in Ivatsevichy, was released early in the morningof 3rd of September. His mother and activists of opposition organisation met him outside the prison. He will go to Navapolatsk to register with the police.

This video is filmed at Bike rally for Russian political prisoners arranged in Helsinki Finland on 7th September. Many of the by-passers cheered when the bike rally passed by. The demonstrators ringed their bells, chanted and played drums. The route started from Kolmen sepän patsas and ended in the Russian embassy in Tehtaankatu, where the demonstrators cycled around the embassy and afterwards listened few speeches of the situation of the political prisoners in Russia. Mainly the demonstration rally went well and with good ambience.