March 18 – act in solidarity with Russian anarchists!
During the last months, Russian secret services have arrested several anarchists and antifascists in Penza and Saint-Petersburg cities. They were accused of conspiring to organize a “terrorist organization”. The arrested were tortured with electric cables and shockers for many hours, brutally beaten without care whether hard damage is made and whether visible traces of beating are left. The officers humiliated our arrested comrades. They tried to force them to testify against themselves and against each other. These true Gestapo actions of Russian FSB secret service can evoke only vigorous protest from every honest person.
The international solidarity action week on February 7-12 exposed wide reaction of the anarchist movement worldwide to these repressions and made considerable media effect in Russia. But it seems to be not enough to overcome the situation. Very soon, it became known that some of arrested anarchists were tortured and intimidated again. The FSB officers demanded that they stop participating in the campaign of resistance against tortures and repressions. Moreover, after solidarity actions took place in Russia, the police launched repressions against those who took these actions. Our comrades were prosecuted in Moscow and Chelyabinsk. Anarchists in Chelyabinsk were again tortured with electricity by the police, while being accused of “hooliganism” (!). Simultaneously with the arrests in Saint-Petersburg, FSB raids and arrests against anarchists were made in the Crimea.
It is necessary to continue and strengthen the campaign of solidarity to force Russian authorities to end tortures and political repressions. The best day for new actions is March 18: the day of presidential elections in Russia. In this day, the ruling regime is the most vulnerable and the eyes of the world will be turned to the situation in our country.
We urgently and desperately call to all anarchist, leftist, antifascist and democratic groups and communities all over the world to organize actions of protest and resistance of any kind against tortures and repressions in Russia: by the embassies, consulates and other official offices of Russian Federation in your countries.
Our slogans are
- FSB is the main terrorist!
- Your electricity won’t kill our ideas!
- Freedom for Russian anarchists and antifascists!