Moscow, October 31, 1998.

``Last night, at the Day of Soviet Political Prisoners, on Lubjanka at Solovetsky Stone the action was held, which was presented both by organizers during all long period of preparation moved as his(its) organizers (among whom, as it seemed up to its beginning, there were also we) and mass-media, as a joint rally of democratic and liberal forces in protection of freedom and against Communist revenge.

Within several previous days leaflets with an appeal to muscovites were the distributed throughout the city to reach on Friday the Solovetsky Stone. In this leaflet as the organizers of the rally were listed, Russia's Democratic Choice (DVR), Federal Party "Democratic Russia", Party of Economic Freedom, Democratic Union and some other organizations, as well as something called "Transnational Party". A double mistake it is. First, the name of the international NGO, where actively work some dozens of my companions taking part in the rally on Lubjanka, as well as myself, is "Transnational Radical Party" (or Radical Party if to shorten). Secondly, from the formal point of view, one of co-organizers and participants of yesterday's political rally on Lubjanka was not this transnational and trans-party organization, but national political public organization "Club Khramov - Association for Libertarian Reforms".

It would be possible to close eyes for these "technical" details. However we were deprived not only our name, but also our voice.

Many respectable persons, known now or in the past, leaders of all parties and organizations participating in the action spoke on the tribune of this "joint democratic action" (where muscovites were called also from our name, even by the deformed one). It was only one small exception: on this tribune was not found a place for the representatives neither of Radical Party, nor of the Antimilitarist Radical Association, nor of the Club Khramov - Association for Libertarian Reforms. No place for anybody among Radicals, who are concretely and daily struggling for freedom, civil rights and liberal revolution.

Regrettably, that on a background of an abundance ritual anti-communist rhetorics on the tribune there was nobody to tell a single word about crimes of today's communist and national-communist regimes in Peking and Belgrade, a single word neither about their victims in Tibet, occupied since 1949, nor in Kosovo, killed today in our eyes.

Regrettably, that on a background of ritual appeals to reforms and to an opposition to revengers there was nobody to specify the main brake of reforms, main reason of economic collapse and main, fatal danger not only for hundreds thousand young Russian citizens, but also for the very fate of democracy in Russia: about a huge, not reformed army, about modern slavery of conscription kept in our country 137 years after abolition of serfdom slavery, a slavery zealously preserved by militarist lobby without distinction of party belonging.

Regrettably, at last but not least, that at the Day of Political prisoners on tribune of a liberal rally there was nobody to recollect hundreds thousand today's political prisoners, thrown in camps only because the regime having rummaged at them in a pocket has found out there not tobacco crumbs, but a gramme of hemp. These people have been sent behind wire not because they were engaged in "politics". With complete - silent or active - accomplishing of all those who call themselves in present Russia as "democrats" and "liberals", these people, more often young, coolly have been brought on political altar. The altar of the prohibitionist policy - a policy which is not simply erroneous and inefficient, but really criminal. A policy, which, as always in such cases, hides the mercenary interests of narcomafia and "anti-drug" bureaucracy closely connected with it. And consequently it is possible to name rightly these our compatriots as real political prisoners.

Last night we came to the Solovetsky Stone not to become a crowd for certain party leaders. We came to make one more small step, one of many on our way, in the direction of assertion of freedom, right on life and life of the Right. And we have achieved this task, having distributed many hundreds of our leaflets, having collected dozens of signatures of common citizens under the appeal to the Hague tribunal for indictment Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes, as well as under the appeal against criminal policy of prohibitionism on drugs. We were deprived the floor during "our" rally, but nobody could deprive us opportunities to work and to struggle in our country - yesterday the same as today and tomorrow. It is no matter of an offense for us. Another thing is insulting and bitterly: that's not us who were subjected to censorship, but hundreds of thousands of today's political prisoners, millions of our co-citizens, suppressed by different-united mafias - from generals' mafia to drug-and-antidrug mafia - citizen

s, whose rights we assert and whose interests we represent.

As for deserved political veterans, it is possible as much as necessary to call the people "to build capitalism", to "protect democracy" and to "not give pass to communism", at the same time snobbishly ignoring real problems vital for millions citizens of Russia (first of all young), not noticing real and fatal threats for freedom and democracy. However, it is absolutely not realistic, to think that by this way it is possible to get out the political ghetto, even the rather comfortable one.''