Anarchist Black Cross Moscow update on anarchist and anti-fascist prisoners 17th of December 2023
Submitted by Редакция on 17 December, 2023 - 17:12
Help the defendants of the "Tyumen case" in their fight for freedom!
Firefund.net calls everyone to support the crowdfunding to pay the lawyers for the defendants in the "Tyumen case". Deadline is 1th of January 2024.
Briefly about the case:
Six anarchists from Russia have been held in pre-trial detention for a year on spurious charges of creating a "terrorist community". According to Russian law, our comrades face a total of 5 to 15 years of imprisonment for the charged articles, and 15 to 30 years of life imprisonment for organizing or leading a "terrorist community". The main proof of guilt is a confession given under torture.
For centuries, the law has been the main instrument of repression. What is insane is how brazenly the state can use its ingenious schemes to rid society of "ideologically inconvenient" people. It is obvious to Russian anarchists that this case is a reprisal against libertarians whom the Putin regime sees as a threat. We know that all our comrades had a negative attitude towards the regime, but that doesn't give the regime the right to deprive them of their long years of life.
If you can't donate through Firefund, you can also help us through crypto:
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More information (in Russian)
Anarchist Lev Skoryakin kidnapped in Kyrgyzstan, and released after court in Moscow
In October 2023 unknown people kidnapped activist of Left Bloc, anarchist Lev Skoryakin in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). In Russia, Skoryakin was accused of ”hooliganism with weapons”, due to action near the FSB office in the South-West of Moscow with another activist of the Left Block Ruslan Abasov. Skoryakin and Abasov were holding banners and burning flares in front of the building of FSB. They were remanded to Butyrka prison of Moscow but released court pending and escaped Russia.
In June 2023, Skoryakin was arrested in Kyrgysztan due to an international extradition request by Russia, but in September he was released from remand prison due to a decision by the general prosecutor of Kyrgyzstan, which refused his extraction to Russia. Since then, Skoryakin stayed in Kyrgyzstan as an asylum seeker, and his extradition to Russia deemed illegal. He obtained a traveling document and a humanitarian visa from Germany, and was ready to travel from Kyrgyzstan to Germany. He received his traveling document October 16th, but the very same day ten officials came to the shelter he was staying at, presented themselves as officials of the Kyrgyzstan police, and kidnapped Skoryakin.
In November the Moscow court began considering Skoryakin's case, and in 13th of December court released Skoryakin after sentencing him to fine of 600 000 roubles. In court, Skoryakin plead guilty and refused to give any testimony whatsoever. He will not have to pay fine because judge considered that the time he spent in remand prison is compensating the sentence. The sentence is a relief, as prosecutor had demanded 5 years of prison for Skoryakin.
In December Solidarity Zone started fundraising to support antifascist Yury Mikheev
Yury Mikheev, aged 18, was arrested together with Matvei Mel'nikov on November 10 on the territory of the military section in the Moscow region. The FSB accused the young men of preparing arson on military equipment, including a 40V6 universal mobile mast, which is a component of the S-300 surface-to-air missile system.
Yury Mikheev was charged with preparing an act of sabotage, and was sent to a pre-trial detention centre. The young man is threatened with a custodial sentence of up to 10 years.
Yury Mikheev is an antifascist, who does not support Russian aggression against Ukraine. Yury became friends with Matvei Mel'nikov, who, like him, came out against the war. We still don't know the full details of the case, but it seems very likely that this was a provocation by the special services, who corresponded with Mel'nikov, pretending to be partisans.
Yury's friend says: "He's just a great guy, he always supports and helps everyone. He's the kind of person who will never let anyone down, whatever happens. He's such a brilliant, interesting and friendly person. I sometimes don't even know how all these qualities can be combined in one person. I’m proud that he's my friend".
PayPal: solidarity_zone@riseup.net (please specify, "for Mikheev", if possible euros are the preferred currency)
Crypto (please send email to solidarity_zone@riseup.net if you send crypto to support Yury)
Monero: 4B1tm6boA5ST6hLdfnPRG2Np9XMHCTiyhE6QaFo46QXp6tZ7Y6nJjE43xBBTwHM84bWwexR8nS4KH36JHujjc1kC8j2Mx5e
Bitcoin: bc1qn404lrshp3q9gd7852d7w85sa09aq0ch28s3v4
USDT (TRC20): TRcCUHKSMY7iLJPvbDxLc6ZnvAud72jTgj
Anti-war anarchist Alexey Rozhkov was accused of terrorism
In June 2023, anti-war activist Alexey Rozhkov, who had fled from Russia to Kyrgyzstan, was kidnapped by Kyrgyzstan police and deported to Russia. Alexey Rozhkov was the third known person in Russia to set fire to a military enlistment office, on the 11th of March 2022. In October 2023, the investigator accused him of a “terrorist act” and “justifying of terrorism”.
The story of his kidnapping is available in English. Rozhkov is supported by Solidarity Zone.
Address for letters (in Russian): Rozhkov Alexey Igorevich, born in 1997. Repina street, 4, SIZO-1, Yekaterinburg, 620019, Russia.
On December 24, Alexey will turn 26 years old.
Anarchist Azat Miftakhov was arrested immediately after his release from prison
On 4 September 2023, anarchist Azat Miftakhov was released from a penal colony. On the same day, the Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Miftakhov in a criminal case for “justifying terrorism”, and he was again arrested. According to the FSB, Azat discussed with other prisoners the war in Ukraine and the actions of the anarchist Mikhail Zhlobitsky, who caused an explosion in the FSB building and died in 2018. Miftakhov refused to plead guilty. From September to December 2023 the new criminal investigation and court hearings continued. The court will pronounce a verdict soon. You can support the family with paying for a lawyer.
Paypal ABC-Moscow is abc-msk@riseup.net (write in the message “for Miftakhov”), bank account in Russia - 5469 3800 5929 3380, Sberbank, Elena Gorban.
More information: caseazatmiftakhov.org, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azat_Miftakhov
Andrey Chernov’s parents ask for help (“Network case”)
In 2020 Andrey Chernov was sentenced to 14 years in prison as a member of terrorist organization “Network”. This autumn the prison administration started to put pressure on him. Andrey was moved to strict conditions detention conditions. He is a vegan, and prisons in Russia do not provide vegan food for prisoners. Before his reassignment he ate first of all foodstuffs his parents sent him.
Andrey repeatedly asked the head of the prison to change his diet to a vegetable one, but he was ignored. In November, Andrei was placed in strict imprisonment for 9 months. The parents wish to appeal this decision and all previous ones by the prison administration holding him accountable for allegedly violating the regime.
More info about the “Network case”
Address for letters (in Russian): st. Raskolnikova, 53a, Sarapul, Udmurt Republic, 427965, Chernov Andrey Sergeevich, born in 1989.
Court against anarchist Roman Shvedov began
On the 7th of October 2023, 38 year old anarchist Roman Shvedov was arrested and charged with "terrorism". According to the authorities, he committed arson "to destabilize activities of the authorities, attempting to influence their decisions", and also protested against war in Ukraine and mobilisation. 23rd of September 2022 an unknown person threw a 3 liter gasoline bomb at a window of the administration of the Zimovnikovskiy region in the Rostov area.
In November, court proceedings against the anarchist began. He is being accused of committing a "terrorist action, which has caused significant material damages, or other serious consequences". Charges carry a prison sentence between 12 and 20 years.
Address for letters: Roman Valerevich Shvedov 1985 g.r. SIZO-1, ul. Gorkogo d. 219, 344022 g. Rostov-na-Donu Russia.
Keep up supporting prisoners in Russia
We support anarchist, anti-authoritarian and anti-war prisoners, but also former prisoners in need of rehabilitation. We try to focus also on "unpopular" prisoners. We may not report all of the cases we are working with, because sometimes relatives are against publicity, or due to other reasons.
You can find the contact addresses of all prisoners in Russia supported by us here and instructions how to donate. If you want to make a donation to a particular prisoner or case, please contact us beforehand to make sure that the supporters of the prisoner or case are currently gathering donations.
Thank you for your solidarity!