RUSSIA: SUPPORT ANARCHIST ANTI-FASCIST ARRESTED IN KRASNODAR:

From the Autonomous Action of Krasnodar:

In may of 2004, Vahtang Devitlidze, anarchist and member of the Federation of Revolutionary Anarchists, was hanging out in the centre of Krasnodar with two friends. They ran into a group of local Nazis, and soon a fight broke out. There was no choice- in order to defend himself, Vahtang had to pull a knife. As a result he wounded one of the attackers in the leg, while he was also hospitalized with less serious wounds himself. When the fight was over the police showed up and arrested people. Eventually in court Vahtang was given a probational sentence of 2.5 years for "causing grievous bodily harm" (Section 2 of Statute 111 of the Russian criminal code). He didn't feel like submitting to the probation regime and escaped to Belarus. But when visiting his family in Krasnodar he was arrested and sent to a low-security prison for the remainder of his sentence. He escaped from prison, but was caught again and heavily beaten. In the summer of 2006 the court sent Vahtang to a regular prison for the remainder of his sentence.

Anarchists in Krasnodar are raising money to support Vahtang in prison, as in Russia prisoner relatives and friends of prisoners have to feed them. In his letters Vahtang is in good spirits and doing his sentence without problems.

You can write to Vahtang at the following address, but bear in mind that he speaks no language other than Russian- so if you don't speak Russian send stuff like photos and drawings instead.

Vahtang Devitlidze

ul Libbedova 42, UO 68/2

otryad 14, brigada 142

g. Hagyshensk, Krasnodarskiy Kray

352680 Russia

MOLLY NOTES:

There has been a serious resurgence of fascism in Russia in recent years, given that years of Communism succeeded in destroying far too much of the normal human relations that would stand as a barrier to such atavism. The "proletarian internationalism" that the Communist authorities adopted as as means of indoctrination failed to survive the end of the dictatorship. This much could be expected as it was connected to a system of total lies that most of the population recognized as such. Today this "internationalism", inculcated by propaganda can hardly serve to contain racist sentiments towards people who used to be part of the Soviet Union.

To follow the Russian anarchists in their fight against fascism look to the Avtonom site. For non-anarchist news about Russian developments, including the rise of fascism in that country look to the Centre for Interethnic Cooperation and the Russia Blog.