Anarchist Black Cross

Support suspected arsonists against military call-ups, and other Russian anti-war prisoners

На фото: Денис Сердюк (слева) и Илья Фарбер.

30 year old Denis Serdyuk, suspected of an arson attack against amilitary call-up center in Volgograd, is being held in remand prison #1 of his town. He is being charged with ”destruction of property” and ”hooliganism”, and may be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Vladimir Sergeev and Anton Zhuchkov need your support

Vladimir Sergeev and Anton Zhuchkov were arrested in an anti-war action on the 6th of March 2022. Before his arrest Vladimir worked in a factory. Vladimir did not go to demonstrations before the war began. After the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army on February 24, 2022, Vladimir's attitude toward the Russian state became even worse.

Support Russian anti-war prisoners

These prisoners have been jailed due to anti-war protests or opinions. They have a wide variety of positions, but all of them are against the Russian attack against Ukraine. There are more prisoners than whom we know the addresses. This list was compiled by Ivan Astashin. 

Please translate your letters to Russian for example with Google translate, as currently letters in other languages except Russian are very seldom accepted in Russian prisons. 

Moscow Anarchist Black Cross updates, May 2022

Possibilities to protest in Russia were already significantly limited before the pandemic, and during the last two years, from March 2020 to Russian attack to Ukraine, street demonstrations have been banned with the pretext of the Covid Pandemic. People were demonstrating persecutions against opposition leader Alexey Navalnyi, and in few other cases, but these ended in massive arrests.

Moscow Anarchist Black Cross updates, March 2022

War in Ukraine has already increased the level of repressions in Russia, but there are not yet any new criminal proceedings against anarchist or anti-fascist activists. In this new exceptional situation, we are channeling some of our resources to humanitarian needs which go beyond our usual narrow focus of supporting repressed anarchists and anti-fascists. 

In picture: action of Left Bloc activists against FSB.

Minecraft ‘terrorism’ Russian court sentences 16-year-old to five years in prison over plot to blow up virtual FSB building in video game

On Thursday, February 10, a Russian court handed down sentences for terrorism to three teenagers from the Siberian town of Kansk. The boys were arrested in the summer of 2020 for posting leaflets with political slogans on the local FSB building. After searching their phones and uncovering a “plot” to blow up a virtual rendering of an FSB building in the video game Minecraft, investigators charged the teens with making explosives and training to participate in terrorist activities.

Kansk teenage anarchists will be sentenced February 10th

The sentence in the case of the Kansk teenagers will be given on Thursday, the 10th of February 2022 at 3PM in Krasnoyarsk time (11 AM Moscow time, 8 AM GMT). Three anarchists from the Krasnoyarsk region are accused of “studying terrorism” and storing explosives. Nikita Uvarov, Denis Mikhayuulenko and Bogdan Andreev were arrested in the summer of 2020 for spreading leaflets that criticised the state, and for supporting political prisoners. At that time they were 14 years old.  

"Open up! Police!": Street artist arrested for "justifying terrorism"

Максим Смольников xadad

The family of Maksim Smolnikov needs financial support to cover lawyer costs and the transfer to a pre-trial detention center. If you want to help, please transfer money to the ABC Moscow PayPal (abc-msk@riseup.net) or if you are in Russia directly to the family account:  4274320068140352.

ABC Moscow news: Ilya Romanov needs support for rehabilitation,  Yegor Lesnykh denied parole, Ilya Shakurskiy in the hole, Kirill Kuzminkin receives propabational sentence, Nikita Uvarov released pending trial

Ilya Romanov

Ilya Romanov needs support for rehabilitation

Ilya Romanov has been an activist in the anarchist movement since 1987. He was sentenced to prison twice, for 10 years in Ukraine in 00’s and 7 years in Russia in the last decade. In 2019 he almost died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage. Due to the delay in the medical intervention, he lost the capacity to move the right side of his body. 

Support revolution in Belarus

For over three months, people in Belarus have been fighting against the authoritarian regime. In 26 years, dictator Lukashenko has built a system aimed at suppressing any political life. The coronavirus and a number of economic problems have greatly changed what is happening in the country. In a few months, Belarusians have learned to self-organize. The presidential elections provoked a wave of the largest protest in the country's history! But the tyrant does not want to give up his throne. At least 5 people were killed (some died under strange circumstances).

Azerbaijan: anarchist detained for making anti-militarist statements

Azerbaijani anarchist Giyas Ibrahimov was detained by security services for alleged anti-war statements yesterday.

In the now-deleted live video he posted on his social media account,  Ibrahimov broadcasted security forces entering his flat in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku and refusing to tell him why he was being detained.

Ilya Romanov is free from prison!

On Saturday 11th of April, relatives took Ilya Romanov, anarchist prisoner from LPU-21. Prosecutor did not appeal decision of the court of Zubovo-Polyanski of Republic of Mordovia, which has ordered to release Romanov for basis of his health. We congratulate Ilya, and everyone who was fighting for his release from prison!

Court had decided 31st of March that Romanov should be released, as he was paralyzed in the colony after stroke. 

Rupression collective statement regarding the article “four went in the forest and only two went out”

 (about “the investigation” of the connection between the “network” case and the disappearance and death of two young people in Ryazan oblast)

Meduza presents a version according to which Maxim Ivankin, a defendant in the case of “Network”, in plain view of Alexei Poltavets participated in the murder of their acquaintances, Artem Dorofeev and Ekaterina Levchenko (Degree of Poltavets’es involvement in the murder is not specified).

A call for solidarity actions for anarchists and anti-fascists suffering repression in Russia: February22-29

We must not forget the anarchists and anti-fascists suffering repression in Russia! We are calling for people to take action of all forms to express support for these prisoners, to protest the prison system, and to spread information about the use of torture as an instrument of repression in Russia.

Anarchist Black Cross Moscow is quitting support for Arman Sagynbaev

The Moscow Anarchist Black Cross group is supporting the declaration released by the Rupression-campaign about Arman Sagynbaev, prisoner of the so-called Network case, and will stop supporting him. Arman has been removed from the list of political prisoners, supported by the ABC Moscow.

Prisoners of Article 212: the story of Vlad Barabanov

Freedom to Vlad Barabanov!

On 27th July, my friend Vladislav Barabanov took part in the rally for fair elections and permission of the independent candidates in Moscow. He was one of 1,500 detainees at this action and one of 13 people accused of criminal offense.

"Article 212 case " or "the Moscow case" is another example of lawlessness in Russia's everyday life. We wish to tell the whole world of people dear to us getting battered and imprisoned for their active citizenship.

Jena (Germany): Solidarity Event for imprisoned antifascists and anarchists in Russia and Italy

On the evening of may 17th, some dozen acivists gathered in the office of the anarchosyndicalist workers' union FAU in the center of Jena, Central-Eastern Germany, for a ''Long Night of Solidarity'' to get informed on the repression and torture against our comrades in Russia and Italy. There were presentations on both cases, that are similar in the aspect of the use of anti-terrorism operations and fabricated accusations against political activists.

Author columns

Антти Раутиайнен

June 11th is the International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason & All Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners. This action day has a long history, it was organized first time 20 years ago in 2004. In the first year, we managed to paint a graffiti to wall of one of the most guarded objects of Moscow,...

5 months ago
Антти Раутиайнен

Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war...

5 months ago