About the case
The repression began in autumn 2017 when six anti-fascists were arrested
in Penza and had weapons and explosives planted on them.
The Russian
Federal Security Service (FSB) tortured the anti-fascists in the
pre-trial detention facility by electrocuting them, beating them and
hanging them upside down.
While torturing them, security chiefs forced the activists to memorise the testimony the FSB wanted them to give: that they were part of a fictional terrorist group called ‘The Network’.
Two more anti-fascists were arrested in St. Petersburg at the end of
January 2018 and were also beaten, electrocuted and forced to
incriminate themselves by saying they were members of ‘The Network’.
A
third person was accused in St. Petersburg and two more from Penza have
also been arrested for supposed involvement in this make-believe
organisation.
The FSB claims that the detainees planned to arrange explosions during
the presidential elections and the World Cup to
“further destabilise the
political situation in the country”.
After knowledge of the fabricated court cases and horrific torture
became widespread, solidarity actions started to take place, but this
led to more repression. Some Russian activists who took part were
detained, electrocuted and had criminal proceedings started against them
– just for expressing solidarity.
This repression of anti-fascists comes at a time when the Russian state
are working with gangs of far-right thugs to repress the whole of civil
society.
One poignant example of this happened ten years ago, two
Russian anti-fascists, journalist Anastasia Baburova and lawyer
Stanislav Markelov, were murdered by fascists in broad daylight on 19
January.
Every year, Russian anarchists and anti-fascists gather to
remember them.
Your support will help to raise funds for legal costs, organizing
humanitarian support for the arrested and offering support to their
relatives.
The resources gathered have so far been distributed according to the
financial circumstances of the respective families and the needs of the
arrested. Further financial support is being distributed according to
the choices made by those arrested throughout the investigation.
0% of €2465
€ 0 reached in total
-2069 days left