Lukáš Borl, a Czech anarchist and ex-prisoner, published a D.I.Y. book Words Against isolation or As Long As There Are Prisons, Let’s Write Letters. There are two main reasons to create this publication. First is to motivate people to write to prisoners, while obtaining funds for anarchists imprisoned in so-called Belarus.
Here is what Lukas says about it: On 110 A4 pages I inform you why and how to write letters. I’m connecting reflections arising from my personal experience of imprisonment as well as collage including fragments of prison correspondence. I want to demonstrate on concrete examples of what can be encouraging for a person behind bars and exciting joy. Perhaps this will allow people who are going to write letters empathize with the situation of the prisoner and it will inspire them.
I dusted off the “cut and paste” method I loved to use in the creation of punk zine graphics. I’m not a graphic designer, nor am I trying make such an impression. Creating collages and editing was fun for me. I hope it will amuse someone else too. And even if not, I don’t see a problem with that.
The anarchists to whom the money will be collected have been imprisoned, because with their attitudes and actions they resisted the dictatorial regime. Their situation is challenging because they are imprisoned in a post-Soviet country has preserved the most repulsive totalitarian practices in its past, such as torture, state terror and violent repression of the opposition.
The publication contains a number of texts about these persecuted anarchists. Specifically, about Mikola Dziadok, whom the court sent on November 10, 2021 to penal colonies for 5 years. On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, they were sentenced to prison Sergey Romanov (sentence 20 years), Igor Olinevich (sentence 20 years), Dmitry Rezanovich (19 years), Dmitry Dubovsky (18 years). All the money raised will serve these people.
But persecution and prison reality also apply to people living in the so-called democratic countries. I try to remind you of that as well. There is no contradiction between dictatorships and democracies. They are just the various faces of global capitalist totalitarianism.
The recommended contribution for the publication is CZK 300, but it is possible to contribute even less or more. Everyone should evaluate their options. I accept orders at e-mail lukynda (@) riseup.net. I will publish a list of distribution points soon. A PDF version of the book is also published for download and free distribution for non-commercial purposes.