It has been a long time since the last call for solidarity with the Belarusian anarchists appeared (http://abc-belarus.org/?p=133&lang=en). Today we have to admit that the new wave of solidarity is needed urgently to help them out from the prison. That’s why we call you to participate in days of action in solidarity with Belarusian political prisoners from June 30 to July 2.

The activists Ihar Alinevich, Mikalai Dziadok, Artsiom Prakapenka, Pavel Syramolatau, Aliaksandr Frantskievich, Jauhen Vas’kovich that were detained in autumn 2010 and winter 2011 and then sentenced to 3 to 8 years of prison in May 2011 for a series of attacks on state and capital symbols are finishing their second year in jail. During this time their comrades and relatives did their best to help them feel comfortable in custody and set them free. In October 2011 they were acknowledged political prisoners by right-watch organizations. This fact gave them bigger chances to be freed as soon as possible, because at the moment the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, faces pressure from the European Union with the demands to set free all the political prisoners and decriminalize them. From August 2011 he has already pardoned more than 30 of them, but none of our comrades was granted freedom. Lukashenko said publicly, that he will pardon only those, who will write the petition for pardon, thus admitting their guilt and asking him personally for mercy. All the rest will remain in prison, he stated. In fact two comrades, Mikalai Dziadok and Alexandr Frantskevich were already asked if they want to sign the petition in August 2011, both refuses to do it. Now there are 13 political prisoners left in Belarus, among them are 5 our comrades and 1 more, imprisoned for the action of solidarity with them. We are sure that none of them will ask for mercy, because it would a shame for an anarchist or any honest person to do so. All the prisoners are experiencing different kinds of pressure from the administration of the prisons they are held in*, because Lukashenko wants to be a winner in this situation and make it as if it is not the EU that forces him to set free the political prisoners in fear of more political and economic sanctions, but as if it is his good will to pardon them, again only if they ask for it. We strongly oppose the fact that our comrades are now traded for benefits form the EU and condemn the pressure that they experience*. We call everybody to protest against this tortures and demand the immediate liberation of the political prisoners of Belarus, including anarchists.

We welcome solidarity actions of ANY kind starting from now on to accumulate amount of it on days of solidarity, we also ask you to make solidarity actions at least once a month if you find it possible even after the days of solidarity. We need constant pressure on the regime and the EU politicians in this situation. Let it be a non-stopping roll of action all over the world, until our comrades are free!

*The cases of pressure on the prisoners include: transfers to another penal institutions, deprivation of food supply from the outside, deprivation and cuts on the dates with relatives, deprivation of phone calls, delays and gaps in letters’ supply, placing to the solitary cell, transfers to a penal facility with special regime, etc.

To know more about the attacks, visit http://abc-belarus.org/?p=6&lang=en
To know more about the sentences, visit http://abc-belarus.org/?p=326&lang=en

Anarchist Black Cross Belarus

Friends and Relatives of arrested

Short update on the recent repressions against anarchists in Belarus

As of right now four Belarussian anarchists are under arrest, accused of having organised a series of direct actions 2009-2010.

Everything started long before last September (2010). The years 2009-2010 were rich in radical actions claimed by Belarusian anarchists. Such as:

*an illegal anti-militarist demonstration in September 2009 against a mutual Russian-Belarusian war exercise, when a Joint Staff was attacked with a smoke grenade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iQ3kz0hVDM

* an attack on a Minsk casino using paint bulbs and flares in protest of the relocation of most Russian casinos to Belarus after the law banning casinos in Russia was passed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXKjrVVAHXw

* an attack on a police station in Soligorsk during the days of common action against the police (windows were broken and a flare was thrown inside)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jT27oiSwCY0

* an attack on the Headquarters of the Trade Union Federation on the 1st May with the statement that the state and this formal organisation uses workers in its interests, and doesn’t defend their rights, often preventing workers from cooperation with each other and organizing strikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLNyIpJYz7Q

* an attack on a branch of Belarusbank as a protest against the financial system in the world (molotov-cocktails) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT7f1hro9jc

and finally

* an attack on the Russian embassy in Minsk as a solidarity action with Khimki arrestees on the 30th August 2010 where a car belonging to the embassy was burnt.

This was the last drop for the regime as the attack was carried out in a period of harsh antagonism between the leaders of Russia and Belarus. Before the action was claimed by anarchists each country had already blamed the other one for having maneuvered the provocation. On August 3rd 8 people in 3 different flats were detained and 7 of them were put in a detention center for 9 days. During this period another radical action took place

* an attack on the detention center with the statement to set free all detainees. The attackers set fire to a door of the detention centre. Later the video was removed from youtube.

After 9 days 5 of the 7 people are set free, but other people are detained in the meantime. One of them, Aliaksandr Frantskevich, is accused of the attack on the police station in Soligorsk. He admits that he was filming the event.

The other guy, Mikalai Dziadok, is kept in the detention facility for different reasons till October 1st, when he is accused of organising last year’s anti-militarist action. In the meantime they also find witnesses who claim that he also organised an attack on the casino and the House of Trade Unions. All episodes mentioned above are now united under one case. Mikalaj denies his guilt.

* In October the KGB quarters in Bobrujsk are attacked with Molotov-cocktails. They take a guy who lives in the neighbourhood, Siarhei Sliusar, and keep him for 10 days without accusations. (He had also been detained for 9 days in September)

On the 4th of November Maxim Vetkin is arrested and accused of an attack on the Russian embassy and on Belarusbank. He admits his guilt. He is also giving testimony against other people, so we have withdrawn support from him.

On the 17th of November Dzianis Bystryk is detained, where he is told that Maxim gave testimony that he was filming the action at the Russian embassy. He admits his fault but is set free without accusations so that he can contact one of the other suspects, Ihar Alinevich, and have him detained, but eventually the plot is not successful.

On the 29th of November Ihar Alinevich is detained in Moscow, when trying to meet his comrade Anton Laptsionak (one of those detained on September 3rd). He is accused of the attack on the Russian embassy and is held in the KGB remand prison. Ihar admits that he was participating in the anti- militarist action, but doesn’t consider it a criminal act. He denies all other accusations.

On the 17th of January Jauhen Vas’kovich, a journalist from the newspaper “Bobruiski courier,” a nationalist democrat without connections to the anarchist movement, Artsiom Prakapenka and Pavel Syramolatau are detained and accused of the attack on the KGB headquarters in Bobruisk. The period of investigation for all of the arrested is prolonged till April 12th. All of them may face up to 10 or 12 years of imprisonment. It appears that they are also accused of “intentional destruction of property committed by an organised group (7 to 12 years of imprisonment).”

Addresses of prisoners for support:

Mikalaj Dziadok, SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus

Aliaksandr Frantskevich, k. 46 SIZO-1, ul. Volodarskogo 2, 220050 Minsk, Belarus

Ihar Alinevich, P.O. Box 8, Glavpochtampt, 220050 Minsk, Belarus (Unfortunately Ihar is only allowed correspondence in Belarusian and Russian language, but you may send postcards and such)

Belarusian anarchists sentenced – up to 8 years of hard regime, evidence lacking

On the 27th of May, judge Zhanna Khvoynitskaya sentenced the Belarusian anarchists Ihar Alinevich, Mikalaj Dziadok, Aliaksandar Frantskievich, Maxim Vetkin and Jauhen Silivonchyk. The young men were accused of a number of political actions, amongst which was the attack against the Russian embassy in Minsk in August of 2010.

Ihar Alinevich was accused of attacks against the Russian Embassy and Belarusbank (“Property destruction with intent”, statute 218 paragraph 3 of the Belarusian Criminal Codex), an attack against the remand prison of Minsk (also statute 218, paragraph 2), an attack against a Casino and an illegal demonstration at the military headquarters (“Aggravated hooliganism”, statute 339 paragraph 2 of Belarusian criminal codex). The prosecutor asked for a 9 year sentence in hard regime, eventually he received 8 years of hard regime (1).

Mikalai Dziadok was sentenced for actions against a Casino, the military headquarters and a yellow(2), state-controlled trade union, all considered “aggravated hooliganism”. The prosecutor demanded a 6 year sentence of hard regime, he received 4.5 years of hard regime.

Aliaksandr Frantskievich was sentenced for actions against state-controlled trade union, military headquarters and a police station at Soligorsk, all considered “aggravated hooliganism”, and also against defacing website of city of Novopolotsk (“Electronic sabotage”, “Illegal access to electronic information”, “Development, using or spreading malware” (statute 349 paragraph 2, statute 351 paragraph 2, statute 354 of Belarusian criminal codex). Prosecutor demanded a 5 year sentence, eventually he received 3 years of hard regime. Screenshots of the action are available here: http://belarus.indymedia.org/20141

Maxim Vetkin was sentenced for the actions taken at the BelarusBank and the Russian Embassy in Minsk. He has been cooperating with the investigation and giving testimony against the others. He was given a 4 year sentence in a low-security prison according to the prosecutor’s demands. He has been temporarily released.

Jauhen Silivonchyk was sentenced to 1.5 years in open regime prison for the attack in Soligorsk. He has also cooperating with the investigation and giving testimony against the other accused.

The accused have to compensate 100 million Belarusian rubles (around 20 000 dollars) in criminal damages to the respective institutions.

Alinevich, Dziadok and Frantskievich have been denying their involvement, with the exception of the action at the military headquarters. They are considering appealing their sentences, but the appeal court may hand out even more severe sentences. The Strasbourg court is not an option for the Belarusians, as Belarus is excluded from the Council of Europe.

Valentina Alinevich, mother of Ihar, said “Yesterday someone else’s children were arrested, and we thought it was not our problem. Today they arrest our children. Tomorrow they will arrest someone else’s children. People, be aware! Do not let it happen!”. She also noted the role of Russian Federation in the case of Ihar: “Russia accepted the kidnapping of a person on its territory. It is an outrageous violation of human rights, which took place in compliance with the Russian authorities.” Keep in mind, that on the 28th of November Ihar Alinevich was kidnapped from Moscow by agents of an unconfirmed special service, and illegally transferred across state borders to the remand prison of the Belarusian KGB in Minsk.

Aliaksandr Dziadok, the father of Mikalaj and an experienced lawyer, who has also worked as a judge, made the following statement to the press: “There were plenty of violations during the court process. The prosecution’s case was not proven. The sentence is unjust and illegal. An objective, law-abiding court would have dropped all charges against the accused”. Aliaksandr Dziadok made a comparison between the case against the anarchists, and the case brought against those arrested after the 19th of December (court cases against the latter, who protested against the falsification of the general elections, which have attracted sizeable international attention).

Anarchist Black Cross of Belarus considers the sentences politically motivated, and the charges unproven. Besides this, all of the actions for which the accused were sentenced, may be considered non-violent. No living being was hurt as a consequence of the actions. Most of the attacks were merely symbolical, and material damage was insignificant.

Reports from each day of the court are available on Belarussian Indymedia and at http://www.avtonom.org/en/freebelarus.

“Defying the law”, a documentary on the investigation and the court cases against the Belarusian anarchists is available here: http://rutube.ru/tracks/4469719.html A version with English subtitles will be available in few days.

1. hard regime means less allowances in terms of visits, mails, and packages and other “privileges”

2. yellow unions reject class struggle, oppose strikes and favor the collaboration between capital and labor

Anarchist Black Cross Belarus

Source: http://avtonom.org/en/node/15830

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