Harassement and Repressions in Russia

 I am passing this on from nettime.

----- Weitergeleitete Nachricht -----
> Datum: Tue, 11 Jul 2006 14:41:40 +0400
> Von: Trade Union Solidarity Action Committee of Saint
> Petersburg and Leningrad region
> Betreff: [fse-esf] harassment and repressions in Russia
>
> 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 actions".
>
> 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