#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #RUSSIA #ANARCHISM #LIBRARY #News #Journal #Update - (en) #Russia, avtonom: "Tens of thousands could follow us." Anarchists in Chita face 5 years in prison for anti-war graffiti (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 Two teenagers from Chita, Lyubov Lizunova and Alexander Snezhkov, were detained

by the FSB at the end of October while they were painting "Death to the Regime"
graffiti. Now 19-year-old Alexander Snezhkov and 16-year-old Lyubov Lizunova are
charged with three criminal articles - calls for terrorist activities (205.2 of
the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), separatism (280.1 of the Criminal
Code of the Russian Federation) and vandalism (214.2 of the Criminal Code of the
Russian Federation). Two of them face up to 3 years in prison, the third - 5
years in prison. ---- On December 9, Lyubov and Aleksandra were included in the
Rosfinmonitoring register of terrorists. ---- We publish their interview
"Siberia.Realities". ---- "They said they understand my views, but I broke the law"
On October 31, FSB officers detained Sasha and Lyuba among the garages when they
were painting "Death to the Regime" graffiti on one of them.

"We already had evidence against us," says Lyubov Lizunova, "we discussed this in
correspondence. In addition, we have our own telegram channels in which we
opposed the current regime.

Painted garages stand opposite the 12th Chita gymnasium. The FSB even seized a
video of the painting process from the surveillance cameras of a neighboring house.

"We often draw on the walls," says Alexander Snezhkov. "Usually this doesn't
concern politics, just art on the Internet, on the facades of abandoned houses.
And these garages were ownerless, so we decided to draw. They made an
inscription, then made a fire, they wanted to warm themselves. At this time, two
men came, showed us our IDs, and took us to the gymnasium. They seized paint cans
and markers. Already in the gymnasium, one of them told me that he understood my
views, but I had broken the law.

Despite the fact that graffiti was the reason for the persecution of Snezhkov and
Lizunova, in the case file, FSB officers cite the telegram channels Shugan-25 and
75zlo, which, in their opinion, were administered by the suspects.

In particular, the security forces were interested in a post summing up the
results of partisan activities from the beginning of the war to mobilization,
where the arson of military registration and enlistment offices, sabotage on the
railway and the actions of the "Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists" were
positively mentioned.

The court chose a preventive measure for teenagers in the form of a written
undertaking not to leave. The houses of Snezhkov and Lizunova were searched.
Their equipment and records were confiscated from them and their parents.
Therefore, they cannot even show a photo of anti-war graffiti.

- The FSB officers came in the morning, I was still sleeping, - says Lyuba, - my
parents opened it for them. There was no pressure on me, no threats. I calmly
went to the kitchen and poured myself some coffee. It was unpleasant when they
began to read my personal notes and laugh. They took my phone, leaflets with the
inscription "Freedom, Equality, Fraternity", anti-fascist badges, badges with the
name of the telegram channel.

The FSB officers did not know where Snezhkov lives, so they came to the
registration address where his mother lives.

- After the employees left, my mother called me, she was in shock. She said that
they came, they rummaged everything. As a result, they took away her laptop and
my old phone. It is not clear what they want to find in him," Sasha says.

"Bad influence on peers"

"We were not forbidden to move around the city," Lyuba said, "however, now the
FSB officers are talking with my parents. So far, they have decided to put me in
home schooling, guided by the fact that I "have a bad influence on my peers, I
can instill my views in them."

The guys say that now their cases are being handled by Center "E" (Department of
the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Combating Extremism). No one answered the
editors' request about the case of Snezhkov and Lizunova from the Ministry of
Internal Affairs in the region, and the operational duty officer also refused to
comment on the details of the case of young anti-fascists by phone.

Lyuba Lizunova is 16 years old. She describes herself as an experienced activist.
He says that "he has been fighting the regime since he was 14". Lyuba recently
returned from Vladivostok, where she took part in anti-war actions for six
months, posted leaflets against the war and painted graffiti on the walls.

- Personally, I am guided by simple human values, which are elevated to the
absolute. This is freedom, equality, brotherhood. And I think that if I have my
own position, I can express it. I have been participating in public events for a
long time. Not only political, but also environmental, for example, - says Lyuba.

The first time the police interrogated her was when she was 14. The security
forces became interested in her posts on the network, in particular, where she
burns the tricolor.

- I had a Russian flag at my house, I decided to burn it as a protest against the
current regime. The only thing that was not worth doing then was taking pictures
of the process and posting pictures on the Internet. But then everything worked
out, however, from that time they began to actively follow me.

How do your parents feel about your views?

- Like any parents, they were afraid of what, in principle, just happened.
Police, FSB. But they themselves understand that it is impossible to live under
the current regime. They are adults, they see for themselves what country we live
in. They agreed that I can express and argue my position. And with the fact that
I express this disagreement openly. Calm down, because it does not affect my life
much. More precisely, it did not affect - until recent events. True, they also
calmly reacted to what happened. We expected, - explains Lyuba.

19-year-old Alexander Snezhkov became an anti-fascist four years ago after taking
part in the actions of liberal activists.

"My parents were also wary of my participation in protests and rallies," says
19-year-old Alexander. - We do not live with my father, but we keep in touch. At
first, he did not take my views seriously, he thought that this was due to his
age. But then, when I realized that it was all serious for me, he demanded that I
stop doing it. Especially after the police started coming.

According to Alexander, two years ago he was detained at a picket in support of
the "Network" (an organization of anarchists and anti-fascists, which became
widely known. terms from 6 to 18 years in a colony). Then Snezhkov was only 17
years old, he was registered with the commission on juvenile affairs for six
months, but he did not give up his views.

What is anti-fascism? It is, first of all, the fight against violence. Initially,
I was against the strengthening and impunity of such authorities as the police,
and against various right-wing radical parties. Then he came to ultra-left views.
I read everything - from socialists, Marx, Lenin, ending with anarchists.

Snezhkov simply explains his disagreement with the current regime - repression
and poverty.

We live in times of repression. Now there is a fight against those who disagree,
the destruction of their own people in war and in civilian life - many have felt
the increase in prices in stores due to the destruction of the economy. Many of
my friends from other cities suffered, every month I learn that one of them was
detained. Including familiar musicians are grabbed for their anti-war position, -
says Alexander. - It will only get worse.

"We are conducting a senseless meat grinder on the territory of Ukraine"

"We do not agree with today's policy," says Alexander. - We have constant
repressions in the state, we are considered aggressors all over the world. More
precisely, our state is considered an aggressor. We are conducting an absolutely
senseless meat grinder on the territory of Ukraine. What is the meaning of it? It
is seen only by our government, pursuing personal interests, which it determined
for itself in 2014, when everything was just beginning.

Back in February-March, it seemed to me that it would end quickly," recalls
Snezhkov, "of course, the attitude towards the war  was immediately negative. In
any case, hostilities, and of this nature, are bad. But in the spring it still
seemed that it would pass quickly. I didn't think it would take so long. As we
can see, all this has led to irreversible changes: people are constantly dying,
mobilization, price increases.

Before the war, Alexander communicated with anti-fascists from different
countries, including Ukraine. Now their communication is interrupted.

- Now the guys from Ukraine have become more radical. Before, everything was
fine, no one even paid attention to the fact that I was from Russia. Was there
Nazism in Ukraine? Of course there was. And tell me a country in which it is
not?! In Russia, it is no less. Look at the same "Rusich" - these are Russian
neo-Nazis. A very strange position of the Russian authorities is to fight Nazism
in another country at a time when the same thing is happening on your territory.

Lyuba and Sasha still do not have a lawyer. Russian anarchists and anti-fascists
are now raising money for it. According to the guys, the trial should take place
in February next year.

- At best, a suspended sentence is waiting. This is the best, - says Lyuba, - But
Sasha is an adult, he can get a real one. We are unprofitable for this state.
Especially now. People do not understand what is happening, they believe what the
authorities tell them. And such actions, any public protests - they can reason
with others. And tens of thousands can follow us. This is what they are afraid of.

Snezhkov is sure that in his case there will be a real term. But it is not the
imminent conclusion that worries him at all.

- It worries that now all the prisoners are being rowed into the Wagner PMC, I,
of course, really don't want to get there. I won't fight anyway, I won't kill.
For the time being, I hope that "political" people are not forced to recruit
there," says Alexander.

Since the Russian authorities have effectively established military censorship by
criminalizing "fake news" about the war in Ukraine and discrediting the Russian
army, more than 300 criminal cases have been initiated in Russia for anti-war
actions and statements. This is the statistics given by the Nestka publication
together with the OVD-Info project.

https://avtonom.org/news/za-nami-mogut-poyti-desyatki-tysyach-v-chite-anarhistam-grozit-5-let-tyurmy-za-antivoennye
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