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Announcement for June 11th 2024, a day of international solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. For more information, go here.
We once again approach June 11th, a day of remembrance and active solidarity, in a world of multiple crises and struggles for liberation. All of these are interconnected; there are no separate worlds. Across borders, languages, contexts, and identities, both catastrophes and victories of spirit and defiance reverberate around the globe. One environment is not untouched by another. The personal is not separate from the political. The positive project is not separate from that of destruction. Prison is not separate from the “free world.” Means are not separate from ends. Bridging these divides is a shared curiosity and commitment; bridging these divides is solidarity. This is not to flatten or oversimplify diversity and differences in circumstance, intensity, and consequence. Rather, that these different pieces are held together like organs of the body held by connective tissue. So we consider: how do we strengthen this connective tissue? How do we remain strong, yet supple and flexible? Bridges, connection, must also be built through time, especially in a world that moves too fast, from one crisis to the next. June 11th aspires to be one of these bridges: to build solidarity across borders, between movements, and among generations. Remembering and supporting long-term prisoners, as well as carrying on shared struggles, are two ways to strengthen this connective tissue. A stronger connective tissue will, in turn, bolster us against further repression.
Each year, as part of our effort to be a bridge between movements, time, and borders, we assess the terrain. We consider what threats from the state look like at this time, how imprisoned comrades can be connected to activity on the outside, how have the struggles they are a part of continued despite repression, and how remembering those locked up can become a natural part of anarchist activity. Often repression and criminalization feel new; but frequently, this is a failure of memory. There are innovations to pay attention to, while seeing their lineage in tactics and ideologies used against our forebears. What can we learn from how people have responded in the past? What can we learn from people in times and places where innovative repressive tactics were developed, and how can we act in complicity alongside them?
As the day of solidarity nears, we are struck by the unfolding of the current terrain; the horrors abound, and confront us in new ways, but these are also patterns and histories in repetition. Power is scrambling to maintain itself amidst the uncertainty of our fragilely constructed society, and individuals and groups continue on with our refusal of their world. We see continued colonial violence, through prisons, guns, bombs, and nationalist ideologies in places such as Palestine, Ukraine, and West Papua. Too, extremely harsh treatments of people in Russia acting against militarism and colonialism, as well as the criminalization of pro-Palestinian activity all over the world.
Palestinians, fighting for their freedom and against policing, surveillance and detention for decades, have faced an all-out culmination of violence and genocide at the hands of the Israeli state — crisis and colonial violence continue to rapidly unfold. So too, does an intense current of Palestinian resistance: solidarity actions have taken place across the globe in attempts to refuse complicity and the feelings of powerlessness fueled by the geographical distance, the 24-hour news cycle, and the propaganda and war machines that abound.
As people continue to flee their regions due to capitalist and imperialist-made violence, and the catastrophic consequences of climate collapse, we are witnessing a renewed fear-mongering at U.S and European borders, as white supremacist militias murmur about confronting ‘migrant caravans’, and individual states implement a greater level of violence to keep people out of artificial borders. This crisis extends throughout the globe, as people worldwide move to eek out any stability, and others rush to enforce the promised order of borders and citizenship.
Colonial violence springs up daily, in guns drawn and territory stolen, in extraction projects and the expansion of policed land, and in the loss of the last wild spaces. But resistance to a homogeneous and hollow future being sold to us by tech-giants, green capitalists and the State still continues across the world. Pipelines, cell-towers, and extraction infrastructure is being targeted, both in individual sabotage, as well as ongoing land defense world-wide. The dependence of this noxious future on policing, surveillance, and control couldn’t be clearer, and struggles are confronting the ways these practices interact. Rebellions break out against police, prisons, and the indignity and macabre realities of daily life. For every crisis, and moment of resistance we could list, there are countless others simmering, exploding, or simply being disappeared from the public, global view. Freedom and resistance always find their way through the cracks of this horrifying society.
Public food serves being harassed, heightened criminalization of houseless populations, RICO charges for bail funds and the “conspiracy” of anarchist ideas and practices, as well as proximity, associations and social networks. Intense and courageous acts of sabotage continue. Everything is new, and nothing is. The question is not ‘what are the solutions?’, but ‘how do we expand, deepen and intensify what we already know works?’. How do we see ourselves in one another, how do we understand our plights as intertwined, as inseparable, and how can we continue to expand these relationships of solidarity. How do we embrace the reality that there are no separate worlds, and explore the ways that we can break through the limiting effects of prison walls, border walls, time, place and context.
There are moments worth celebrating, when we feel the opening of possibilities and capacity, of cohesion and strength; there are certainly also many moments to mourn, when it feels like we’re losing it all and our bodies or spirits are taking a beating. We can savor a touch of solace when we notice the deep desperation apparent in the moves of the state. They’re scrambling, finding new ways to criminalize even the most basic of acts. This can serve to motivate us. If anything even vaguely anarchist is enough to throw us to the helm of repression, we must choose to live our lives as we decide, regardless of the consequences. As more and more of us interact with repression, jails, courts, prisons, let this possibility be a never-ending invitation towards continuing to remember and include those locked away as an ongoing part of our moves toward getting free. Time, geography, the barriers of the prison wall-none of these are strong enough to obliterate the vast network of bridges that keep us interdependent, connected, fighting the same enemies of freedom, worldwide.
This year saw the passing of many who carried the vivacious anarchist spirit. Some may be known to us, while many remain unknown. They sowed rebelliousness in every path they walked. Perhaps their impact is incalculable, though never nonexistent. We can carry the same spirit, traverse similar paths, and remain steadfast and diligent, just as those who have come before us have. Rest in power: Alfredo Bonanno, Klee Benally, Ed Mead, Sekuo Odinga, Tortuguita, Aaron Bushnell.
Rest in power to all of those whose names we’ve never uttered, not known, but who walked these lengths, nonetheless. Time is merely constructed; those that have come before us, and passed onto death, still impact the lives of the living, still contribute to the history of anarchists and anti-authoritarians, and our shared struggle. Let us make them a part of our active memory, and continue forward, in a fight for lives against domination. May these words spark a fire in you-encourage you to get up, forge ahead and seek what it might feel like, to live like you’re trying to get free.
Regional Prisoner Updates
Russia
In the third year of the war in Ukraine, perspectives of anarchist movement in Russia look increasingly grim. It is still possible to organise events on anarchist history or culture in some of the major cities, but the most important current topics are strictly banned in any public event, and raising them would carry serious consequences. Much of anarchist agitation can only be spread anonymously online and in the streets.
Authorities are also moving to ban anarchist prisoner solidarity. In February, Anarchist Black Cross Federation, active in United states, was labelled as an “undesirable organisation” by Russian authorities. Financing an “undesirable organisation” carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison. US Federation has no sections in Russia, but it is likely that purpose of this step is to target existing Anarchist Black Cross groups in Russia.
21st of February 2024 anti-war prisoner Anton Zhuchkov, sentenced for 10 years for planned anti-war Molotov cocktail action against police in center of Moscow, was tortured in a Krasnoyarsk prison in Siberia, during a transfer to his distant destination colony. Among other things, during torture he was asked about the Anarchist Black Cross. Zhuchkov is not an anarchist, but in early stages of his arrest, he was contacted in name of the Anarchist Black Cross. Currently he is supported by Solidarity Zone, an anti-authoritarian initiative to support anti-war direct action prisoners. The torture of Zhuchkov is another sign that Russian authorities plan to target ABC groups, and due to these warning signs ABC Moscow has currently decided to move out from Russia and is working in exile only.
Solidarity Zone is currently providing circa 20 anti-war direct action prisoners with lawyers, and is attempting to follow cases of dozens more. Prisoners who have engaged in arson attacks against military, police or infrastructure are usually not supported by mainstream human rights organisations.
Among prisoners supported by Solidarity Zone with lawyers, two are anarchists, but neither of them have yet been sentenced. There is however, little doubt that both of them will be sentenced, and that they will be long time anarchist prisoners. Conviction rate in Russia courts is more than 99%.
First of them is Alexey Rozhkov, one of the first people who took direct action against war in Ukraine in Russia. 11th of March 2022, 15 days after beginning of the war, he attacked a military enlistment office in a suburb of the city of Yekaterinburg in Ural mountains with a Molotov cocktail, and was immediately arrested. He was released, court pending, in the autumn of 2022, as his accusations were not severe, and he managed to escape to Kyrgysztan, from where he was illegally rendered back to Russia in May of 2023. Back in Russia, he was charged with a number of terrorist offenses, and now he will face up to 30 years in prison.
Second anarchist anti-war prisoner, supported by Solidarity Zone, is Ruslan Siddiqui, arrested in the end of November 2023 in the city of Ryazan, 180 km (120 mi) South-East from Moscow. He is accused of having derailed a freight train 11th of November, and a drone attack against airport of Dyagilevo in Ryazan region, which took place 20th of July 2023. He is charged with terrorist offenses, and may spend up to 30 years in prison.
An independent campaign has been organised to support five anarchist and anti-fascists from Ural and Siberia: Deniz Aidyn, Yuri Neznamov, Daniil Chertykov, Nikita Oleinik and Roman Paklin. They were arrested 30th-31st of August 2022, and they are accused of setting up a terrorist organisation, attempting to blow up offices of security service FSB and railroads. Evidence on the case is dubious, mostly based on confessions acquired with torture. Originally Deniz Aidyn was arrested with Kirill Brik in Tyumen, allegedly attempting to test an improvised explosive device in forest. Unfortunately, after the tortures, Kirill Brik became a cooperating witness and his testimony is in a danger of burying all the other defendants to 30 years in prison, Nikita Oleinik is facing a risk of life sentence as alleged “leader” of the group.
Some anarchist long-term prisoners were already imprisoned before the war. Anarchist mathematician Azat Miftakhov was supposed to be released 4th of September last year, having finished a 6 year sentence for anarchist action in Moscow, in which a smoke bomb was thrown inside a building of the ruling United Russia party. However, Miftakhov was detained in the prison gate with a fabricated case of “justification of terrorism” due to comments supporting anarchist bomber Mikhail Zhlobitski in discussion with other prisoners. Eventually on the 28th of March, 2024 Azat Miftakhov was given a new prison sentence of 4 years, which means that he will spend altogether almost a decade in prison.
First fabricated case against anarchism due to terrorism was the Network case of anarchists in Penza and Saint-Petersburg, arrested in 2017-2018. 10 people sentenced to prison were suspected of having established an underground anarchist organisation preparing for insurrectionary activities, although no proven action had taken place. 3 of the sentenced are already released, seven are still in prison, of whom 6 are listed in the prisoner list by Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow: Viktor Filinkov (sentenced to 7 years), Vasili Kuksov (sentenced to 9 years), Mikhail Kulkov (sentenced to 10 years), Andrei Chernov (sentenced to 14 years), Ilya Shakurskiy (sentenced to 16 years), and Dmitriy Pchelintsev (sentenced to 19 years). Seventh prisoner, Maxim Ivankin, was sentenced this February to 24 years in prison due to double homicide of two of his friends who were on the run with him due to drug-related charges. Anarchist Black Cross of Moscow considers testimony against Ivankin credible, and has withdrawn support for him, although his sentence for the Network case is fabricated.
Current prison addresses are available for all of the persons mentioned in the article [see June11.noblogs.org/prisoners]. Note that all letters should be sent only in Russian language – you may use machine translation. Also, several countries have halted mail service with Russia. In case mail service is halted in your country, you may pass letters via ABC Moscow e-mail address [email protected].
Ireland
Our solidarity activity continues with anarchist and antifascist prisoners in Ireland and in other parts of the world. We are active in helping to highlight incarcerations and detentions of anarchist and antifascists by the state through protest, pickets and on social media. Our website address is www.abcireland.wordpress.com
We continue to support the Irish Anarchist prisoner John Paul Wootton. John Paul has recently changed prison and welcomes letters, post cards of support and solidarity from everyone. John Paul is part of the Craigavon Two, which includes Brendan McConnville, who now along with their families continues to fight against their wrongful imprisonment and another gross miscarriage of justice inflicted upon them by the British State.
USA
After nearly ten years, Eric King has finally been released and is working and living with his family in Colorado. Jennifer Rose has been moved to a women’s facility. Marius Mason has been transferred back to Texas. Bill Dunne has been transferred in order to start cancer treatment. Michael Kimble continues to organize and support other queer prisoners in the dungeons of Alabama prisons. Sean Swain has just celebrated the 10th anniversary of his segment on The Final Straw Radio show. Malik Muhammad is stuck in isolation in retaliation for fasting during Ramadan. Many of them continue to contribute to the anarchist prisoner journal Fire Ant.
Across the US, there continues to be harsh repression against land defense struggles such as Stop Cop City- not just in Atlanta, but anywhere solidarity actions have taken place. Repression continues against those resisting the Mountain Valley Pipeline, against Palestine Solidarity protests, against those fighting back against transphobia and defending the ability for queer people to exist in public, and those who act against fake “crisis pregnancy” centers. Hunger strikes and disruptions continue at immigrant detention facilities and prisons across the nation.
Indonesia
Serikat Tahanan (The Inter-Correctional Prisoner Union) is a political organization of anti-authoritarian prisoners in Indonesia that was officially established on July 17, 2023. The union is managed by prisoners as well as comrades outside prison. It operates with a dual structure, namely members of the union (prisoners) where decision-making is taken, and a solidarity group outside that supports needs and carries out work that can’t be done from inside the prison. As of now, ST represents eight detainees ranging from arsoning cases labeled as terrorism, vandalism for incitement to riots, and marijuana and other types of drug use. Other than that, ST has also been supporting detainees of labor union activists, farmers, and those who are fighting against eviction.
In accordance with the organizational status agreed upon by the detainees, Serikat Tahananwas formed with the aims of:
1. Providing support in cases of violence, extortion, and other threats that union members have experienced while serving prison sentences.
2. Campaigning for the movement and struggles for prisoners’ rights in accordance with the Minister of Law and Human Rights and other international regulations.
3. Campaigning for decriminalization and abolition of prisons.
4. Organizing prisoner education through discussions and providing books on a regular basis to the prisons.
5. Forming a media that publishes the aspirations of prisoners and determines the direction of the prisoners’ movement.
6. Extending solidarity with all class war prisoners and social activists who are
criminalized.
7. Organizing masses in a detention center / prison, if deemed necessary.
Follow us via Instagram: @serikattahanan, Email: [email protected]
*If you would like to submit an update from your region or project, email us at [email protected]
