War in Ukraine has already increased the level of repressions in Russia, but there are not yet any new criminal proceedings against anarchist or anti-fascist activists. In this new exceptional situation, we are channeling some of our resources to humanitarian needs which go beyond our usual narrow focus of supporting repressed anarchists and anti-fascists.

In picture: action of Left Bloc activists against FSB.

Plenty have been arrested in demonstrations and fined, or slapped with an immediate 15 day prison sentence. More serious charges may be pressed anytime soon. But until then, we are following up on anarchists and anti-fascists who have already been facing repression before the war.

But the good news first.

Chelyabinsk anarchists released

This is already old news, but on 24th of November the court of appeal revoked the sentence of two Chelyabinsk anarchists, Anastasia Safonova and Dmitry Tsibukovski, who were given prison sentences of 2 and 2.5 years respectively for ”hooliganism”, after they hung a banner with the text ”FSB is the main terrorist”. Their criminal case was returned to the local court, so a new sentence is possible. It is extremely unusual that political sentences in Russia are overturned through an appeal. Until the new process, Safonova and Tsibukovski are under several restrictions.

Continue reading Moscow Anarchist Black Cross updates, March 2022 →

Statement Against Racist Staff Culture at HMP Bristol

Prisoners have set up a Prisoners Committee on G Wing HMP Bristol in order to empower inmates, exchange experiences, and to show support and solidarity with each other as they try to confront abuses by the rotten staff culture at Bristol’s inner-city prison. Despite the diverse ethnic make-up of Bristol City itself, staff at HMP Bristol are disproportionately white and are either ignorant of, disrespectful of or actively antagonistic towards the people of colour in their care. The following statement was written by the mixed ethnicity Prisoners Committee on G Wing. The reference to “Asian brothers” is a term of
friendship rather than familial.

HMP Bristol UK – Statement from G Wing Prisoners Committee against Racist screw Senior Officer (SO) Dawes.

On February 22nd, the Asian brothers from Landing 2 wanted to go out to the yard for exercise with Landings 3 and 4, and asked SO Dawes (BL0461) if they could also go outside. SO Dawes took a belligerent approach towards them, saying they could (we are all on 22 hour bang-up), but “if anything happened they would get a Negative.” This means they could lose
their jobs and ability to leave their cells, attend activities etc. One
of the Asian brothers wanted to go to the gym and then get some fresh air on the yard, but he was refused even though this is frequently allowed. The Asian brothers went to the yard and during that mere hour outside, a parcel was thrown over the wall onto the yard. Straightaway SO Dawes started staring in a hostile way at the Asian brothers, even though they didn’t take the parcel and were nowhere near it. Continue reading EN/ES/IT/DE/,HMP Bristol UK: Statement from G Wing Prisoners Committee against Racist screw Senior Officer (SO) Dawes. →

Solidarity with Toby Shone in the face of threats from Fascist Screw SO Steven Sollars Imprisoned anarchist Toby Shone has refused to attend any more workshops run by right-wing Senior Officer Steven Sollars at HMP Bristol due to the constant provocations, insults, denigration and threats. He was confined to his cell for 23 hours a day for two weeks following his refusal.

Ex-military and a screw at Bristol prison for the last 11 years, SO Steve Sollars is well known amongst prisoners as a politically motivated bully and bigot. He boasted to prisoners that he was part of a counter-protest that “protected” the cenotaph in June 2020 during the Black Lives Matter protests in Bristol. He gloated about the long sentences given to Kill the Bill protestors, particularly Ryan Roberts.

He publically fantasised about re-introducing chain gangs, saying that he would shoot prisoners in the face with a shotgun if they rebelled.

Sollars threatened to kill Toby and blame it on another prisoner. He made derogatory remarks about Irish rebels in the run up to the Bloody

Continue reading EN/ES/IT/DE: Solidarity with Toby Shone in the face of threats from Fascist Screw SO Steven Sollars (UK) →

On 2 March the trial of the imprisoned militant Polycarpos Georgiadis, accused of “illegal possession of explosives for the commission of a crime”, and of comrades M.T. and E.M., who were charged with misdemeanor charges, took place.

Dozens of comrades gathered on the 4th floor of the Loukareos building in solidarity, with the prosecutors putting on a show, allowing only a few of us to go inside the courtroom, or even in the lobby, on the pretext of the pandemic. They then tried, unsuccessfully, to bring back the issue of the OLA (Popular Fighters Groups) notice found on the P.G’s computer and present it as authentic.

Continue reading Athens, Greece: Update from the trial of P. Georgiadis, E.M. and M.T. →

On February 26, the “Assembly of Solidarity with the imprisoned, fugitives and persecuted militants” called for a meeting in Korydallos prison, in solidarity with the 3 imprisoned. The comrades had been arrested in Thessaloniki on 8 February by the anti-terrorist police in connection with the incendiary attack on the “Foundation for National and Religious Reflection”.

Continue reading Athens, Greece: Information about the gathering at Korydallos prison, Saturday 26/02/22 →