Actions to demand the release Alekxander Kolchenko will take place in France from June 27 to 30, 2015. Demonstraions and meetings will be organised in Paris, Lyon, Strasbourg, Marseille and Biarritz. We strongly encourage you to join the solidarity campaign and to do something in support of Alexander Kolchenko from June 30 to July 5.
June 11 the investigation of the Kolchenko and Sentsov criminal case was finished and case was gone to trial. In the middle of July the Rostov-on-Don military court will start hearings of this case. In spite of the absurdity of the charges (antifashist Kolchenko is accused of membership in right-wing group) investigator pass the case in the trial with accusations under articles “terrorism” and “participation in terrorist group”. Alexander Kolchenko will stand trial together with film director Oleg Sentsov who is considered by Russian special services as creator and leader of “terrorist group”. Two others arrested “members of group” collaborated with investigators and testified against Kolchenko and Sentsov. They were sentenced to 7 years in prison. Oleg Sentsov can get from 10 to 20 years in prison, Alexander Kolchenko from 10 to 15.
According to investigators, in June 2014 “Right Sector”, a radical Ukrainian right-wing organization, initiated the creation a «terrorist group» in Crymea, which carried out two arson attacks: against the headquarters of "Russian Community of Crimea" organization and the office of the United Russia party and had plan to blow up Lenin memorial. Oleg Sentsov argues that this case was completely fabricated. Alexander Kolchenko doesn't deny that he was near the United Russia party' headquarter but he does not consider it as terrorism. He declares that he's antifashist and he is not share nationalist ideas but he was angered by the invasion Russian troops in Crymea and feared of full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine.
Alexander Kolchenko, 24, anarchist and antifascist, participated in student and environmental actions in the Crimea. He worked as a post-office and print-shop loader and studied at the Faculty of Geography in the University of correspondence. He has been part of campaigns against tuition fees as an active member of "Student action" union and supported workers' rights protests. He was under constant Nazi attack for his antifascist stance.
ABC-Moscow
More information:
1. Repressions against Crimean activists: political context (also the bank accounts for donations) -
https://avtonom.org/en/news/repressions-against-crimean-activists-political-context
2. The call of international solidarity campaign in April -
https://avtonom.org/en/news/join-international-solidarity-campaign-alexander-kolchenko
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