Police places pressure on relatives and friends of jailed Russian antifascists

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Anti-fascists Alexey Sutuga and Alexey Olesinov have already been in the "Butyrka" prison in Moscow for more than half a year. Investigator Y. Egorov, who is conducting the investigation, is expected to modify the criminal case into a more serious one. The current criminal case was instituted in April 2012 under section 213 part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code (hooliganism motivated by political enmity, performed by an organised group). Now it will be modified under section 30 part 2 and section 105 (these two sections together are called "murderous assault") which presumes more serious responsibility/punishment. Instead of 1 or 2 years the two anti-fascists could be sentenced to between 7 and 8 years of prison.



Alexey Sutuga

Alexey Sutuga

Police places pressure on relatives and friends of jailed Russian antifascists

Your support is needed

Anti-fascists Alexey Sutuga and Alexey Olesinov have already been in the "Butyrka" prison in Moscow for more than half a year. Investigator Y. Egorov, who is conducting the investigation, is expected to modify the criminal case into a more serious one. The current criminal case was instituted in April 2012 under section 213 part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code (hooliganism motivated by political enmity, performed by an organised group). Now it will be modified under section 30 part 2 and section 105 (these two sections together are called "murderous assault") which presumes more serious responsibility/punishment. Instead of 1 or 2 years the two anti-fascists could be sentenced to between 7 and 8 years of prison.

This change of the punitive article is related to the arrest of a third anti-fascist - Alen Volikov. Alen Volikov was arrested on the 6th November 2012. According to the investigator, he also took part in the fight in the Moscow club, "Vozdukh" in December 2011.

This private club had been rented for an anti-fascist music event. The club's management, without agreement from organisers, had hired neo-nazis as security. As a result, a fight took place between security and concert visitors.

Lawyers and friends of Alexey Sutuga believe the case is being modified due to the fact that the "victim", Zakharenkov, is underage and he was shot in the head directly during the fight which happened on December 4th 2011.

Zakharenkov is a member of Ariicev's band, a young neo-nazi. Band members have beaten and murdered non-Russian people.

During the whole period of the investigation, potential witnesses and relatives have experienced pressure.

1. Policemen place pressure on those under investigation. On the 14th September 2012 FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) officers visited "Butyrka" prison. Their visit was not made in accordance with procedural order; they launched threats against Alexey Sutuga, hinted at the fact that it would be to their advantage if Alexey Sutuga remained in jail as long as possible. They have also said, that he is going to be sued according to a punitive article and that they would prevent him from becoming a political prisoner.

2. On the 9th October 2012 Alexey Sutuga's mother, Olga Nikolaevna Sutuga, discovered that her internet wallet (Yandex-Wallet), used to raise funds for a lawyer, had been cracked and all the money had been stolen.

3. On the 10th November 2012 at 1.00 am, a witness for the defense, Dmitry Avalishvily, along with Alina Kolosovskaya and 2 other people were returning home from a concert. When they were approaching their house, a man wearing a black jacket with his head covered with a hood came out from behind a car. He started shooting at the guys. Eleven shots were fired. When the shooting started, they ran helter-skelter, which is why only Dmitry was hit (in the head). The pistol was non-lethal (traumatic) and Dmitry was far enough, so the wound was not serious. None of the other guys were hit. The criminal obviously expected only two guys and he got confused when he saw four. He failed to focus on any single one in particular which is why they appeared to be "lucky". They informed the police but it was difficult to persuade the policemen to accept their complaint. Policemen have told them that it is unlikely they will ever find the criminal, but have accepted the complaint.

4. On the 29th August 2012 Alina Kolosovskaya was accused of participating in a fight with neo-nazis. A search was conducted at her house. Afterwards Alina was taken to the police station and was questioned for almost 24 hours. She was threatened with jail time.

5. Investigator Kochergin, who was conducting the investigation into Alexey Sutuga's case, summoned Alexey's mother for a conversation. During the conversation, he informed her that Alexey was a violent extremist and he was going to stay in prison for 12 years.

6. Alexey Sutuga's wife, Olga, who lives in Kiev (Ukraine), has been attacked by neo-nazis twice. Her photograph was published on a website that is supposedly managed by law-enforcement together with nazis.

The first attack happened during an action where Olga was gathering funds to pay for her husband's lawyer. The second happened when she was simply in Kiev running personal errands near a store where she was buying clothes for her child.

Relatives and friends of anti-fascists believe policemen are using nazis for their own interests.

As a result of modifying the case into a more serious one, as well as the appearance of a third accused suspect, expenses for the relatives are growing.

Money is required for:

1. Lawyers' fees. Four lawyers are busy with this case now, about 100,000 Rubles (approx. 2,500) is being spent every month to pay them.





2. Carrying out extra examinations, each of them worth 15-25,000 Rubles (373-622). In the near future an expertise will be carried out to prove that anti-fascists are being prosecuted for their political convictions.





3. Each lawyer's visit to the police station with a witness costs about 5,000 Rubles (125). There are approximately 30 witnesses involved in the case.





4. A witness check using a lie detector costs approximately 5,000 Rubles (125). Only 8 people have passed it up till now. For the cogency of the case, more witnesses are required to be checked using the lie detector.





5. The main lawyer working on the case lives in St. Petersburg. Relatives are paying for his trips to Moscow and back.





6. About 12,000 Rubles (300) is spent on food for those in jail every month.

Details about the arrested

Arrested on April 17, 2012. The preventive sentence has been prolonged twice. The last time it was prolonged till December 18, 2012. He was arrested in connection with the incident in "Vozdukh" club. The investigation is currently not being carried out due to a lack of evidence.

A member of Autonomous Action since 2004, Alexey Sutuga was first active in Irkutsk and later on in Moscow. He took part in almost all the large campaigns organised by Autonomous Action during the last eight years and supported the publishing of the "Avtonom" magazine. In 2007 he participated in a protest camp against a uranium enrichment plant in Angarsk which was attacked by the gang of fascists. As a result of this attack, anti-fascist Ilya Borodaenko was murdered. Several other people were also severely injured, Alexey Sutuga among them.

Alexey Olesinov

Arrested on February 12 2012 in connection with the incident in "Vozdukh" club. The preventive sentence has been prolonged till December 18, 2012. The investigation is currently not being carried out due to a lack of evidence. Has already been prosecuted previously. In November 2008, a public prosecutor requested a 5-year term against him under part 2, section 213 of Russian Penal Code ("hooliganism"). He received a 1-year sentence then.

The arrest of Alexey Olesinov was carried out with several violations. His imprisonment in a pre-trial detention centre was motivated by the claim that "he was hiding himself from the investigation". Olesinov had no opportunity to know that he was wanted. The investigation side has shown in a fake document in court, according to which Olesinov undertook not to leave the region, which he allegedly had signed in Moscow, although he had been living in St. Petersburg for the three previous months. He has been a participant in the anti-fascist movement since the early 2000s.

During his imprisonment, Olesinov become seriously sick. He has a severe chronic cough, problems with blood pressure and his heart. The prison administration denied him from having a medical check-up.

His lawyer has filed a lawsuit. According to the lawyer his condition is deteriorating.

Alen Volikov

Detained in November 2012 on suspicion of involvement in the incident in "Vozdukh" club, and of beating a neo-nazi. On the 8th November 2012, after the court had decided to imprison him till the 18th December 2012, he started a hunger strike. Alen was wanted since the beginning of the investigation into the incident at the "Vozdukh" club. In November 2012 policemen found him.

You may donate for the arrested anti-fascists via ABC Moscow, read instructions here http://wiki.avtonom.org/en/index.php/Donate



