22-08-07
Russia two anarchist arrested on terrosist charges!
Two Anarchists Arrested in Russia: FSB tries to create
Chechen-Anarchist terror network
On Aug. 15, the police arrested Andrei Kalyonov and Denis Zeleniuk
from the Petersburg Anarchist League. They were on their way to the
Congress of ADA (Association of Anarchist Movements) in Yaroslavl.
They were travelling on the cheap with local trains and were near the
town of Malaya Vishera when they were approached by police and
ultimately arrested. Khasan Didigov, a Chechen living in Novgorod, was
also arrested separately.
On Aug. 13, the train Nevsky Express was derailed after an explosion
occurred under it's tracks. The explosion occured some kilometers
before the Malaya Vishera station.
By all looks of it, Andrei and Denis were just in the wrong place at
the wrong time. Apparently the police were looking around the area for
"suspicious looking people" and found them. They had on Palestinian
scarves and were sarcastic when police started questioning them.
Witnesses who noted "suspicious looking people" near the train before
the blast helped the authorities come up with identity kit pictures;
although they do not look like the suspects, they were taken in.
(See http://cia.bzzz.net/rosja_policja_zatrzymala_dwoch_anarchistow_bez_podstaw
for the pictures and compare for yourself.)
When it turned out that they were "dangerous anarchists" they were
detained. Andrei's apartment was broken into and searched in St.
Petersburg. Since both anarchists have had some troubles with the law
before and participate in weekly anti-war protests, the FSB is trying
to find a link between the anarchists and Chechen terrorists. There is
no really reliable news about them - everything people know comes from
personal contact with journalists who have personal contact the FSB.
It was said that they'd be detained at least 30 days. This is,
presumably, the time needed to investigate and decide whether to press
charges. The law allows for such detention without charges in
terrorism cases.
We will be trying to get more information, but everyone is being kept
in the dark. If they are not released soon, we'll ask everybody to
make solidarity demos or send faxes.
Contact: anarchistsolidarity@yahoo.com