[fse-esf] harassment and repressions in Russia

[Doug Holton]

Unfortunately I have been unable to come to St Petersburg because of a 
communications problem with the organisers. I will do what I can to get 
some solidarity action in London.
love and solidarity
Doug Holton
On Tuesday, July 11, 2006, at 11:41 AM, Юрий Симонов wrote:

>
> Dear Friends and Comrades!
>
>
> We have to resort to you with an appeal for help and international 
> solidarity!
>
> Russia is on the verge of the G 8 summit which is to be hosted in 
> Saint Petersburg.
>
> At the same time our country is experiencing another series of 
> political violence and reprisals.
>
> Contrary to the official G-8 summit an alternative event has been 
> planned to be held in Saint Petersburg by the Russian Social Forum.
>
> The activists belonging to different political and grass root 
> organizations and groups scattered all over Russia are coming to Saint 
> Petersburg to participate in the alternative  'summit''. Among them 
> are the activists of the all Russian Society of Hostels and 
> Dormitories Dwellers Rights, activists of the anti  'monetization 
> laws'' movement, trade union activists of the Siberian Confederation 
> of Labor and from other regions, different human right groups 
> activists and many other individuals.
>
> These persons are being harassed and persecuted by the local police 
> and security services agents on their way to Saint Petersburg.
>
> Some people are being stopped and arrested at the air ports and rail 
> way stations without any legal pretext. Some activists have been 
> detained illegally. One person from Siberia has disappeared.
>
> Up to this date at least 100 people have been detained under various 
> pretexts having no legal force. People are forcefully deprived of 
> their documents, transportation tickets, stalked by unknown 
> individuals and then once again arrested by police on the pretext of 
> protecting their personal safety (!).  On different occasions people 
> have brutally been mishandled by police and secret service agents.
>
> Here in Saint Petersburg Vladimir Soloveichik, one of the leaders of 
> the Civil Initiatives Movement of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad 
> region has been detained in his own apartment and now has been taken 
> under police custody.
>
> In Saint Petersburg some more arrests have been made: two girls were 
> arrested last Monday on Sennaya square for handing out materials on 
> the Russian Social Forum, two activists from Germany have been 
> detained under a pretext of violating  'their legal status of staying 
> in a foreign country''. Now they are being kept in   police station N 
> 36 of Saint Petersburg together with another Russian citizen.
>
> A peaceful demonstration planned during the G-8 meeting in the period 
> of July, 15-17, has been banned by the authorities.
> It seems that the authorities are trying to provoke illegal actions 
> and then blame them on committing  'terrorists and illegal actins''.
>
> All this is going on at a time when the civil rights of many other 
> individuals in other Russian regions are being violated and neglected.
>
> We are unsure if those arrests and reprisals have been initiated by 
> the authorities in Moscow or by the local authorities. But all this 
> seems to be a very well coordinated and concerted action.
>
> We are appealing to all people in the Western countries and asking 
> them to voice their solidarity with the Russian political and social 
> activists at this critical moment on the eve of the G- 8 summit. We 
> suggest that you request the Russian embassies and consulates in the 
> West European countries that they provide you for necessary 
> information. We suggest that you picket their offices.
>
> Please spread the word!
>
> A traditional Russian police state Russia is making a comeback!  What 
> we see now is an authoritative state brutally repressing legal and 
> civil rights of the Russian citizens.
>
> Is Russia worth being a G- 8 member?
>
> We also urge you to come to Saint Petersburg and witness everything 
> with your own eyes.
>
> In solidarity
>
> Trade Union Solidarity Action Committee of Saint Petersburg and 
> Leningrad region
>
>
> Спутник@Mail.ru - твой верный помощник в Интернете
> http://r.mail.ru/cln3089/sputnik.mail.ru/
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>
Best wishes
Doug Holton
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