INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-SERBIA:

SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN WITH ARRESTED SERBIAN ANARCHOSYNDICALISTS:

Since Molly lasted blogged on this matter, with material from the Greek ASI Solidarity site, there have been several solidarity demonstrations with the six Serbian comrades who are in a one month detention awaiting trial. The Polish Union of Syndicalists (ZSP)has undertaken further solidarity work, and there is a protest letter to the Serbian authorities that you can sign at their solidarity site. The last time that Molly looked there were 2,841 signatories. Here is the call for Solidarity from the ZSP.

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Political Arrests in Belgrade:
On Saturday, Sept. 4, five* political activists were arrested in Belgrade on trumped up charges. The five, Tadej Kurep, Ivan Vulović, Sanja Dojkić, Ratibor Trivunac and Nikola Mitrovic, are activists in or associates of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative, the Serbian section of the International Workers’ Association (IWA). (* The sixth person sought by police, Ivan Savic, was also arrested some days later.)

The arrests are allegedly related to a direct action which took place at the Greek Embassy on Aug. 25. Negligible damage was done; a crack in one window, a tiny burn mark on the facade and a circled A graffiti on the embassy as a act of symbolic solidarity with Thodoros Iliopoulos. The prosecutor however imagines this as an act of “international terrorism” and would like to charge our comrades with such. If the state allows such charges to be pressed, they could be facing 3-15 years in prison.

As it is, the five were arrested, harassed and are to be held in custody for at least one month while the case is organized.

Although one of the accused, General Secretary of the IWA Ratibor Trivunac clearly and publicly declared that he knew nothing of the action, he was arrested. It is not the first time that authorities have come after him or his comrades for no other reason than the fact that they are radical critics of the state.

We are calling on people around the world to take action now!

If you can organize a protest at a Serbian Embassy, Consulate or other Diplomatic Mission, please do so ASAP. Rather than one day of action, we think actions can be spread out over a few days, but we think it’s best not to wait! Try to make an action by Sept. 15-16.

Also, send faxes and protest letters! We are including a list of addresses on this page. If you like, you can also send a letter to the government through this page. You can write your own text or use out sample text. Our page can keep a log of signatories so we may pass them on to the comrades in Serbia so they know which organizations and people have sent protests.

Please send us information about your demos, protests or articles on the case!
FREE THE FIVE NOW!
ADDRESSES OF DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA:
http://www.mfa.gov.rs/Worldframe.htm

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THE LETTER:

Please go to the Solidarity Site of the ZSP to send the following letter to the Serbian government.

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We are writing to demand the immediate release of Tadej Kurep, Ivan Vulović, Sanja Dojkić, Ratibor Trivunac and Nikola Mitrović, arrested Sept. 4 in Belgrade on absurd grounds. The prosecutor's assertions are clearly ridiculous. It seems perfectly clear that this case has been politicized and a show case is being made out of a minor incident.

In the meanwhile, the state continues to deflect attention away from the institutionalized violence inflicted daily through war, policing and exploitation, which is the real terror of daily life for millions around the globe.

We will not stand by idly as people who fight for social justice are repressed based on their history of political activism. We will campaign for the release of these activists and for the end of state repression.