In the evening of 5th July, Segei Vilkov, activist of the Russian socialist
movement “VPERED”, was taken in charge. This action of the local police
results quite logically from their recent unprecedented campaign of pressure
against the members of the movement section in Saratov. Constant
surveillance, illegal arrests, threats and promises to “close down” the
section – all this has come to be a normal practice of the local police
against the members of the movement. We consider Sergei’s arrest as a
conscious provocation, which the local bureaucrats needed to fill in their
reports on the “fight against extremism”.
Here is a brief account from our comrade about Sergei’s arrest:
On the 5th of July in Saratov a provocative act leaded to the arrest of an
activist of the socialist movement “VPERED” Sergei Vilkov. When he was going home, he was seized by policemen, and after the search a gun with 8 bullets was “discovered”. When I came to the local police department after a call of
an investigator with a change of clothes for Sergey, I was told rudely that
I wouldn’t get answers to my (quite reasonable) questions, and shortly
afterwards – that I had “to get a move on home” because they’re gonna “come
there with a search”.
At the moment Sergei is out of prison, but restricted to Saratov. Apparently
local police officers may be working out right now what case they’re going
to frame up against him. That’s why he needs your solidarity right now, for
what has happened to him yesterday may happen to every political activist
tomorrow. Therefore we must act together to make sure this disgraceful and
false “case” falls apart before it even gets to court.
The actions of Saratov police have to receive the widest possible publicity.
We’re calling on journalists and all who have any access to mass media to
connect to our website and try to publish this information as widely as
possible.We’re calling on all leftists, working class activists, and human
rights activists to call and fax protests to the following numbers:
Saratov Department of Internal Affairs:
Officer on duty: +7(8452) 51-1222; +7(8452) 26-1578
Head of the department: +7(8452) 26-2824; +7(8452) 26-4719; +7(8452) 26-4927
Saratov Public Prosecutions Department:
+7(8452) 78-3418; +7(8452) 78-3417
Deputy prosecutor: +7(8452) 78-3421
Saratov City Administration:
Office: +7(8452) 26-1877 (Tel./Fax)
We call all left and progressive forces outside Russia to organize actions
of protest in front of the Russian embassy buildings in their countries.
We also ask everyone who can give a financial support (to pay a lawyer) to
get in touch with the editors of the site: kashamanka yahoo.com.
No to repressions, yes to solidarity!