a short and not perfect translation of the german original at: http://de.indymedia.org/2013/08/347352.shtml
Russian special unit raided international exchange meeting in Murmansk. One person arrested.
On 01 August 2013 around 8 o’clock, the Russian special unit OMON went into an exchange meeting of students, scientists, artists and activists. OMON were masked and armed with machine guns, accompanied by several men in civil. The persons inside were torn brutally to the ground and partly had to turn their face towards the wall, so that it was impossible to follow what was happening after.
A participant of the meeting, the Murmansk antifascists Alexei Raschodchikov (Алексей Расходчиков) short Rashkod was extremely violently dragged by several Omon-forces in a waiting car. The reason for arresting him was not named, also his lawyers were not informed until now. Another participant was pressed brutally to the ground by masked police, so he went into shock and had been in need for medically treatment. We do not know about the state of our friend and comrade Rashkod. In addition, some rooms have been ransacked and there was an attempt to access laptops of participants. The police action was partially filmed by a civilian-dressed man with a camcorder. We do not know whether this was a police officer, media representative or employee of another government agency.
Furthermore, the police even after repeated requests could not show any warrant for their action.
This incident is part of a wave of repressive government actions against left activists in Russia.
The Vostok-Forum takes place for 8 years for now on the russian Kola peninsula and is an exchange platform for emancipatory work. This year, people take part from Poland, Hungary, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and the USA. We, as thepeople publishing this article have traveled to Russia with the activists to link up locally and to support their work. We will still remain a few days in Russia, and it is unclear to us whether the Russian government will take further repressive measures against us and thus provoke a renewed escalation. For this reason, it is imperative for us to take this incident in the international public, as we continue to be under police surveillance. In contrast to the participants of the forum, which are free to leave russia, the regional antifascists are at the mercy of the Russian state and the local police every day.
Help us to take this and other incidents in the public and show your solidarity to the activists in Russia!
Freedom for Rashkod!
Some of the Vostok-Participants
