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.
On April 9, Lefortovskiy district Moscow court prolonged detention of Alexander Kolchenko for a month, till May, 16. On May 16 a year will pass away since Kolchenko had been arrested in the Simferopol center as a terrorist attack suspect. 22/05/2014 he had been sent to Moscow together with other defendants and had been held in a pretrial detention center "Lefortovo" since then.
According to the FSB, Alexander Kolchenko is a member of the anti-Russian underground in Crimea. Along with three other arrested residents of the peninsula, he has been accused of terrorism. The New Times has tried to find out what the charges are based on (it took nearly a year to gather the evidence), how the Russian security services took over Crimea, and what residents of Simferopol think about the relatives of the arrestees.
Alexander Kolchenko is a Crimean anarchist, social activist and antifascist who is held in captivity by the Russian authorities. Along with other Crimean activists, he has been kidnapped by the Russian FSB (ex-KGB) and is now detained as a political hostage in Lefortovo jail in Moscow. He is charged with committing “acts of terrorism” and “belonging to a terrorist community”.
Ilya Romanov, a 46-years old Russian anarchist, has been under arrest for more than a year for now, from October 29, 2013. He is charged with an attempt of a terrorist attack (art.30 of 205.1 of Russian Criminal Code) and of illegal manufacturing of explosives (222.1 CC). He declares that his rigths are badly violated. In violation of the law courts held behind closed doors, the investigation takes unreasonably long, and all his complaints rejected. His imprisonment was continued till February 26, 2015.
The story of this interview is different from how interviews are usually recorded. The person answering the questions is in the place not very accessible for journalists – Lefortovo Moscow Pretrial Detention Facility that is still known as RF FSB SIZO (RF FSB SIZO - pre-trial detention facility of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation – transl.).
Lefortovo is the prison that has both special detention conditions and special security measures.
After the drawing play-off round of the Europa League, it became clear that the Cyprus Omonia will hold two games with the Dynamo Moscow. This meant that the legendary fan is association Gate 9 will come to us in Russia. These guys are known far beyond the borders of their country as because of its hot support for the club, and because of the anti-fascist views. Well, I as a fan of Greek-style ultras and anti-fascist initiatives on the football tribunes decided for the sake of the holiday to come to Moscow for a few days.
We continue our regular summaries on repressions of anarchists, antifascists, and social activists in Russia, on obstacles which police state creates for our activity.
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
Final court statement of anarchist Alexandra Dukhanina (Naumova), charged with violence against police during an opposition rally in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012, made in a Moscow court on February 5, 2014.
Interview with anarchist prisoners in the so-called "Bolotnaya Case", former sailor Alexei Polikhovich, 22 (pictured), and historian Stepan Zimin, 21. They are amongst the many people charged with participation in the May 6, 2012 clashes with police during an opposition rally in Moscow's Bolotnaya Square. Both face a sentence of five-and-a-half year in penal colony, having spent over a year in pre-trial detention.
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.
As 20 years have passed since tragical events of October 1993, we republish this detailed account stored in flag.blackened archive.
27th of June 2013, arrest of Irina was prolonged until 2nd of October. She was arrested 2nd of July 2012, so now Irina has already spent more than one year in prison without a court! Arrest of Irina was prolonged due to dubious claims of her alleged "victims" that they still have not acquintanced themselves with the results of the investigation.
19th of June Moscow city court accepted appeal of criminal investigators to release Alexey Sutuga trial pending with a condition of a bail.
7th of June, anti-fascist Alexey "Shkobar" Olesinov was released pending trial. Moscow city court made a decision on appeal against arrest, filled by Olesinov's lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina. Court released Olesinov, as most serious charges against him (Causing grievous bodily harm, statute 111 of the Russian criminal codex) were dropped in late May.
Member of Autonomous Action, anarchist Alexey Sutuga has been remanded for more than a year. Police has intentionally delayed the investigation, they were only working on the case for the first 2-3 months of the arrest, and since then investigation has stalled. Formally Alexey is accused according to statute "hooliganism" of Russian criminal codex, for having taken part to a fight during an anti-fascist concert.
It is late, but I still want to congratulate all the comrades and friends with May Day and the Day of Liberation of the world from the Nazi threat in the memorable days of 1945. The symbolism of the holidays for me is still an important part of those ideas that I live for, although already the second year in a row I am unable to take part in their celebrations. But even in prison, they are life-affirming, as most of the people who surround me here could stand with me in the same column in freedom, shoulder to shoulder.
Alexei Gaskarov, a Russian social activist and economist, was arrested in Moscow on April 27, 2013. Having gained fame as an anti-fascist, he has over the past two years become a visible young public politician thanks to his energy, intelligence, passion, and commitment.
On sunday, the 28th of April 2013, a well-known Russian anti-fascist, Alexey Gaskarov, was arrested in Moscow. He is a member of the Coordination Council of Russian opposition. The investigation committee of the Russian Federation has accused him of having pacticipated in riots and violence against representative of authorities on the 6th of May 2012, when OMON (Russian riot police) attacked a peaceful demonstration.
June 11th is the International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners. This action day has a long history, it was organized first time 20 years ago in 2004. In the first year, we managed to paint a graffiti to wall of one of the most guarded objects of Moscow,...
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war...