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A Call for Days of Action in Support of Rus.Antifascists
nn - 01.09.2010 15:25
A Call for International Days of Action in Support of Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov
September 17–20, 2010
On July 28, 2010, more than two hundred young antifascists and anarchists carried out a spontaneous demonstration outside the town administration building in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow. They demonstrated in defense of the Khimki Forest, which was at that time in the process of beings cutting down for the needs of big business. The demonstration, during which several windows were broken, received a great deal of public attention. The authorities responded with a wave of repressions. The day after the demonstration, two well-known social activists, Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov, were arrested. They are now threatened with up to seven years in prison for disorderly conduct, although there is no evidence of their complicity in illegal activities. Meanwhile, the police continue to hunt down and harass other activists, especially those involved in the antifascist movement.
The campaign to save the Khimki Forest has been going on for the past three years. The authorities had decided to build a segment of a planned Moscow–Saint Petersburg toll highway, the first of its kind in Russia, through the forest. This would lead to the deterioration of environmental conditions in the region, and local residents and Muscovites would be deprived of yet another recreation zone. Despite the availability of alternative routes that would not require clear-cutting the forest and vigorous protests by environmentalists and ordinary citizens against the planned route, the authorities f0r a long time ignored the voice of society and on several occasions took measures to suppress their critics.
Khimki authorities and the highway project contractor have used violence and other tactics against Khimki Forest defenders. Theyrefused to give permission for protest demonstrations, recruited nationalist thugs to break up a peaceful protest camp organized by environmentalists and local residents, and illegally arrested and beat up journalists covering the story. Nearly two years ago, Mikhail Beketov, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Khimkinskaya Pravda and a critic of the local administration, was severely beaten by persons unknown; the attack left Beketov permanently disabled. Sergei Protozanov, the layout designer of another local opposition paper, was murdered in similar circumstances six months later.
After the July 28 demonstration, the Russian police and secret services unleashed an unprecedented dragnet against antifascists. People who had even just once come to the attention of the Center for Extremism Prevention and FSB for their involvement with the antifascist movement have been forcibly taken in for questioning. In several cases they have been subjected to harsh physical coercion in order to compel them to give the testimony required by investigators. In addition, illegal searches have been carried out in their apartments. All these actions on the part of law enforcement authorities are violations of Russian and international law.
Frightened by the numerous and growing protests against the clear-cutting of the Khimki Forest, the authorities have finally made concessions by agreeing to review the advisability of the planned route for the toll highway. But this does not mean victory. Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov are still in police custody for no reason at all. They are hostages of the authorities.
In late September, the next hearing in their case will take place. The judge will decide whether to keep them in police custody pending completion of the investigation and trial. Everyone who cares about the fate of these two young men must do everything in their power to see that they are set free. The Campaign for the Release of the Khimki Hostages calls on people around the world to organize days of action on September 17, 18, 19, and 20 to pressure the Russian authorities to release Alexei and Maxim.
We ask you to hold protests outside of Russian Federation embassies, consulates, trade missions, and cultural centers, as well as at public events and concerts connected to Russia. We also ask you to send faxes, e-mails, and protest letters to the court, the prosecutor’s office, and the country’s political leadership. In the very nearfuture we will inform you of addresses where you can send these protests as well as more details about the ongoing repressions in Russia. Look for this information on our website  http://khimkibattle.org in English, German, Russian, and French.
Join our campaign!
Campaign for the Release of the Khimki Hostages
+7 (915) 053-5912 *  info@khimkibattle.org * http://khimkibattle.org
 E-Mail: info@khimkibattle.org  Website: http://khimkibattle.org/
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| Read more about: anti-fascisme / racisme europa vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten | | supplements | | nn | nn - 01.09.2010 21:34
http://khimkibattle.org/ ligt er af en toe uit, net als vele andere websites van khimki actiegroepen. Het kremlin is weer lekker aan het DDS-en. En bij die zgn victorie van khimkie moet wel een vraagteken worden gesteld.
De bouw van de snelweg door het bos wordt op dit moment alleen maar opnieuw besproken. En hoe? De burgemeester van khimki verplicht iedereen een verklaring te ondertekenen dat zij voor de kap van het bos zijn. Bij weigeren kan iemand zijn baan gedag zeggen of zullen andere 'problemen' volgen.
De intimidatie is echter wel erg doorzichtig. Zo wordt er tegen persoon A gezegd dat als hij niet zorgt dat iedereen in zijn buurt voor de kap stemt dat dan de alternatieve route zal betekenen dat de snelweg door zijn of haar buurt zal komen. Tegen persoon B en C, die allemaal heel ergens anders wonen wordt hetzelfde verteld over zijn of haar buurt.
De strijd is nog maar net begonnen!
Solidariteit is nodig met onze kameraden.
| | nn | nn - 01.09.2010 21:35
Statement: The Khimki forest is saved Now save the activists!
To friends of Russia and forests everywhere:
The Khimki forest is saved Now save the activists!
Thanks to an impressive solidarity and historically courageous struggle,
activists in Russia from all parts of society supported by people in common have been able to save the Khimki forest close to Moscow. The plan was to build a toll high way through one of the last forests in the green belt surrounding the city. Direct action to save the forest and wider and wider support at street rallies and in opinion polls made president Medvedev decide in favour of protecting the forest for the moment.
Russian democratic culture has shown its strength in a historically important battle. Journalists exposing corrupt economic interests with political support in the project of the high way through the Khimki forest have been attacked and crippled for life. Environmentalists, antifascists, human rights activists and liberal and left wing parties have together with many others been able to confront the interests of the exploiters of the forest.
No to new Moscow trials against activists!
Russia brought literature to the world that inspire generations everywhere
and Soviet Union brought us the great victory over German fascism. Cultural inspiration and sacrifice for which we are grateful. Moscow brought us also trials in the 1930s built mostly on fraud and sometimes on grossly exaggerated charges.
The news about the successful outcome of the Khimki forest conflict is accompanied with the information that the activists Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov still are in jail facing trials which we fear will be built on fraud evidence. They were arrested after a protest action at the Khimki administration building causing some material damage in July in defence of the Russian forest without evidence against them and against normal procedure. The reason why they were arrested was not that they were present at the action but that they were well-known spokespersons for antifascists in Moscow in other matters. They are threatened by many years in the dangerous Russian prison system.
The Khimki forest is saved but it has happened before in Russia in other environmental cases that promises have been given and then not kept. There
is only one way to make the victory in the battle for the Khimki forest a
victory in the struggle for all forests in Russia and the world. That is to turn the victory into a struggle for the defenders of the forest and all those that have been arrested as the result of the conflict. Only by showing our seriousness in continuing to defend the victory and those that made it possible can we be for sure that the forest will be protected and make our commitment a warning to anyone exploiting forest anywhere in disrespect of ecological and social concerns.
This is why we call upon organizations and individuals everywhere to continue the struggle.
Free the activists Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov!
Save the Khimki forest for ever and protect forests everywhere!
Statement by Friends of the Earth Sweden, August 27th 2010
| | Support Russian anti-fascists | nn - 01.09.2010 21:38
Support Russian anti-fascists in the fight for the Khimki forest
The news that President Medvedev have ordered a halt to the highway construction through the Khimki forest close to Moscow until further investigation has been made has taken the environmental movement by surprise on Thursday. The fight against corruption behind the project and to increase political pressure in seemingly hopeless situations has been very hard. Chief editor Mikhail Beketov for a local newspaper who stood on the barricades against the highway and the corrupt politicians in Khimki was attacked and injured for life with one leg and several fingers amputated and his ability to speak lost. Anarchists have collectively been assigned the blame for a direct action against the center of the political corruption in Khimki and are now hunted by the police with torture. Witnesses said as according to the relief organizayion Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow that Nikita Nikolaevich Chernobaev in the hand of FSB security service suffered blows to the head and other parts of the body, dressed head bag and blocked the air for breathing. Thus he was forced to make confessions of guilt and self-testimony of others participating in the campaign against Khimki's town hall.
Many more than the anarchists are currently threatened in the witch hunt in the attempt to demonstrate the ability to act in the State response to the action against the Khimki town hall, an action not directed against persons but resulting in damage in the form of graffiti against deforestation, a few broken windows and a door broken up. People who police think may have had contact with anarchists who may have had with the action to do have their computers seized and are taken to hearing. Many are afraid for both their own sake and their families far beyond anarchist circles. Not least are the journalists who interviewed anarchists who participated in the operation vulnerable. Biggest is the fear for the destiny of Alexei Gaskarov and Maxim Solopov who were arrested and then detained against normal procedure in realtion to the action against the town hall. The two known representatives of Antifa in Moscow, as the largest anarchist movement in Russia is called, could easily be found by the police but no evidence that they participated in the action was proposed as the basis for their detention which made several human rights organizations reacting strongly against the arrest. The two Anti-fascists have been lost to an unknown location and there is great concern for what as happened to them.
Solidarity with anti-fascists and other victims of repression in connection with the defense of Khimki forest is now important for both democratic reasons and for protecting the Khimki forest permanentely.
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