Bulletin of antimilitarist actions
Issue # 35, April 26, 2000
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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=> DMITRY NEVEROVSKY IS FREE!
=> Lev Levinson. WILL THE PACIFISTS CLEAN THE BARRACKS IN CHECHNYA?
A new draft of the alternative civilian service law
=> "GEGEN DEN KRIEG IN TSCHETSCHENIEN"
An antiwar tour across the cities of Germany
=> TELEX:
Objector is sentenced to a fine for "evading the military service"*
Action against the conscription slavery in Ryazan *
"Peace shift" in Yekaterinburg *
Day of actions against the Chechen war: a manifestation in the capital and a rally in Yekaterinburg *
Nikolay Khramov Club: "Yavlinsky for president" *
Conscientious objection: Vasily Bazhenov is acquitted *
Conscientious objector accused of desertion *
Antiwar action in Yekaterinburg *
The radicals took part in the anti-Putin manifestation organized by the Democratic Union *
Antimilitary "Day of Laugh" in Yekaterinburg *
Seminar on the conscientious objection *
Presentation of the antimilitarist radical campaigns in Perm *
Moscow City Court confirmed: Vasily Bazhenov is not guilty
=> SOON:
Manifestation organized by the Committee for antiwar actions *
Street tables of the Radical Party and the ARA
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>>> DMITRY NEVEROVSKY: 146 DAYS IN PRISON FOR THE CONSCIENTIOUS
>>> OBJECTION TO PROTEST AGAINST THE CHECHEN WAR
Kaluga -- Moscow, April 20, 2000 -- Yesterday, April 19, 2000 Dmitry Neverovsky was released from custody according to the decision of the Regional Court of Kaluga.
Despite the fact that the extract from the decision of the Regional Court of Kaluga was delivered to the prison at 12.15, Dmitry left his cell only at 17.00.
Neverovsky was met by the members of the Radical Party and the Antimilitarist Radical Association from Moscow and Kaluga with flowers and the Champaign. At the gate of the prison the radicals raised a transparency "Freedom to Neverovsky" and flags of the Radical Party.
April 18, 2000 the Regional Court of Kaluga (the Collegium including the President Gusev, the judges Teryan and Kochetov) sentenced to substitute the preventive measures in respect of Neverovsky - the confinement - by the written undertaking not to leave the place. Meanwhile, the decision of the Obninsk City Court of March 3, 2000 to remit the case for further examination was confirmed.
The press-conference with the participation of Dmitry Neverovsky, Tatiana Kotlyar and Nikolay Khramov will take place on Monday, April 24, at 15.30 in the National Press Institute. The address: Zubovsky bulvar 22/39.
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>>> WILL THE PACIFISTS CLEAN THE BARRACKS IN CHECHNYA?
The legislation committee isn't old enough to adopt the alternative civilian service.
Lev Levinson
Schoolboys taking courses of the primary military training, conscripts, re-engaged soldiers and reservists can soon be supplemented by a detachment of "alternativschiks". It is possible that next year these pacifists will begin to raise the country's defence potential at last. The new energetic power will muster sufficient strength to complete our most famous shelved law - the law on the alternative civilian service. The Council of Europe will get this law promissed as far back as 1996. You wanted it - so relax and enjoy. But the refusniks, Tolstoyans and Jehovah's witnesses will hardly enjoy what Putin will sign for them.
On April 18 at the Council of the State Duma the chairman of the defence committee Andrey Nikolayev has mentioned that his committee is drafting this truly new law together with the administration of the president. Most likely the president himself will introduce the bill. There is no doubt that it will get green light from the servile Duma. The bill will contain everything the antimilitarists have been so enthusiastically fighting against for ten years.
On the sketchs to this impressive a-la Vereshchagin canvas one can see citizens burdened with political and religious convictions who are polishing floor in barracks or lugging slops from generals' kitchen. They will serve the Fatherland the double period - in order that soldiers without convictions may not be offended. They will serve "at civilian positions in the armed forces, other troops and military units". Exclusively on the extraterritorial principle - in order that the soldiers' brides may not envy the "alternative" girls. "The total burden of the alternative civilian service must correspond to the one of the military call-up service" - that is what the law will say. But some are killed at the military service, so some should probably be killed at the alternative one as well. In order that nobody may not be offended.
For this reason the best place for the alternative service is Chechnya - and it will be surely organized right there. It's the best time to help peaceful people there. And "not to leave the limits of the inhabited locality the organisation where the citizen is passing the alternative service is placed in, without the agreement with the administration of the organisation". And that's right - where one could leave in Chechnya? Everything would be just great, but it will be rather hard to get this wonderful service as a conscript appeared before the commission will have to prove "the truth of his political and religious convictions". And what is the truth? And won't the citizen keep the only one conviction - to relinquish to hell the citizenship of this state?
According to the general Nikolayev, "if we are consistent, in two or three months the bill will be introduced to the State Duma".
The frankness of Nikolayev was provoked by the inopportunely appeared before him draft of the deputy Yury Rybakov which had been introduced to the Duma in April - before the presidential one. In the Rybakov's text there was the same civilian content which set teeth of the power ministers on edge. The period is only of one and a half - 36 months. The service is at the place of residence and only in the hospitals and social centers. Rybakov worked ahead of schedule. And though his draft doesn't hinder the introduction of the presidential bill, the mere fact that the liberal text was the first to appear is spoiling the play of the power ministers.
Why did it happen that now the civil society can only defend itself and gain time? Where was the normal law lost? Who did filibuster it?
Three or four years given to the Russia's law reform were wasted on political hysterics, inter- and inner-party intrigues while it was necessary to change the old rules of the game - the laws - and to introduce the new ones including the alternative civilian service law. Only then - no later than in 1994 - a normal alternative civilian service law could be adopted; no later than the day when tanks entered Grozny for the first time.
Almost everything adopted in those times is working. If the law on freedom of residence wasn't adopted in the 1993, nobody would adopt it today. If the law on jury wasn't affirmed two months before the dispersal of the Supreme Soviet - we would dream about it till now. Just look - since July 16, 1993 when the communist and fascist parliament adopted the introduction of jury in 9 regions, things haven't budged an inch. But in these 9 regions the cases are examined by jury.
The same would happen with the alternative service if - if what? Maybe - if there were then such people with the access to wires and strings like Boris Zolotukhin and Sergey Pashin who moved ahead the court reform in 1990. Or this assumption is wrong and the military machine is more powerful than the court one to such an extent that even in those times nobody could achieve nothing?
What can one say today? Nikolayev insisted, all-powered Gryzlov supported, communists agreed (when were they for the alternative service?) - and Rybakov's proyect has been suspended. Untill "the financial and economical calculation" is presented. That is - under far-fetched pretext.
Only the Right Forces Union and "Yabloko" supported the head of the legislation committee Pavel Krasheninnikov and he couldn't achieve that the responsible for this proyect be his committee. The alternative civilian service was passed to the defence committee which has always been in charge of it and where it can be torn to pieces.
Zhirinovsky was as always the best to explain that at the Council of the Duma: "It's necesary to choose. A good law - we are a belligerent country - we need army. If conscripts go to work at hospitals - it's good, it's great. Let a sick guy work at hospital. But we won't have army. And we will wage war for a long time - ten, fifteen, twenty years. We must proceed from this. Better - let the defence committee be in charge of this law. It's too early for the legislation committee to be in charge of it".
Only it isn't too early - it is too late.
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>>> GEGEN DEN KRIEG IN TSCHETSCHENIEN: ANTI-WAR ROUND
>>> TRIP OF RUSSIAN ANTIMILITARISTS IN GERMANY
From March 27 to April 14 Nikolaj Khramov, secretary of ARA, made in a round trip in Germany in the framework of action "Gegen den Krieg in Tschetschenien" (Against the War in Chechnya). This action has been organized by a German NGO named "Connection e.V." which is engaged to help deserters from Turkey, Yugoslavia, Russia and other warfare zones, as well as by the oldest pacifist organization in Germany - "Deutsche Friedensgesellschaft - Vereinigte KriegsdienstgegnerInnen" (DFG-VK) which is a German branch of War Resisters International. By parallel way, another antiwar activist from Moscow - Vadim Damier, representative of "Revolutionary Anarcho-Syndicalists" - has also committed a series of interventions in other German cities.
In the framework of the round trip "Gegen den Krieg in Tschetschenien" secretary of ARA made interventions in 13 German cities in front of peace movement activists and representatives of German public who care about war in Chechnya and situation of Russian conscientious objectors: on March 27 in Oldenburg, on March 28 in Nuernberg, on March 29 in Muenchen, on March 30 in Potsdam, on April 3 in Boeblingen, on April 5 in Trier, on April 6 in Saarbruecken, on April 7 in Dueren, on April 8 in Dortmund, on April 10 in Berlin, on April 12 in Moenchengladbach, on April 13 in Muenster, on April 14 in Braunschweig. There were from 20 to 60 participants in each of this meetings. Apart of this, on April 14 Khramov spoke for 150 scholars of the Technical School in Moers.
In his interventions Khramov told about the key points of development between the proclaiming Chechen independency in 1991 till today, expressed about the reasons of the first and the second Chechen war, about the difficulties of condacting antiwar campaign in today's Russia where - unlike the situation five years ago - the two thirds of population do support the war and militarist policy of president Putin, about the state of Russian conscientious objectors and, first of all, about the case of Dmitry Neverovsky. The ARA secretary underlined the role which the Western and in particular the German public could and must play in rendering pressure on Western governments in order to make them taking the most possible hard position regarding Russian government, its war crimes and genocide in Chechnya. "No pfennig from Berlin, until the war continue".
The special attention Khramov payed to the need of organizing in Germany and other European countries a public campaign to defend Neverovsky and other conscientious objectors in Russia. During every meeting there were distributing the postcards "Freedom And Justice For Dmitry Neverovsky" addressed to the acting Prosecutor General. Totally during the Khramov's interventions in the framework of the round trip there were distributed 500 of postcards. There were collected also 622 DM as contributions.
On March 31 in the framework of the round trip Nikolaj Khramov together with Vadim Damier, as well as with Rudi Friedrich from Connection e.V. and Christian Axnick from DFG-VK participated in press cocnference on antimilitarist movement in Russia organized in German Bundestag in Berlin.
On April 11 the similar press conference was given by Khramov in Stuttgart in the Landtag of Baden-Wuertemberg. This press conference has been organized by the "Ohne Ruestung Leben" (Life Without Armament), a German pacifist NGO whose representative handed to Khramov 8,000 of signatures collected in all Germany in support of Russian conscientious objectors protesting against the war in Chechnya.
In the framework of the round trip Nikolaj Khramov had also meetings with some German politicians and statespersons where it was discussed the necessity of harshening the official German position against Russian government in the context of Chechen war as well as about the need to give support to Russian conscientious objectors and deserters. On March 31 in Berlin there was a meeting with Mr. Helmut Lippelt, member of Bundestag (Union 90/The Greens), member of Foreign Affairs Committee of Bundestag. On April 10 Khramov met Mrs. Uta Zapf, Social Democrat member of Bundestag. On March 29 Khramov has been received in Muenchen City Hall by the second Buergermeister of Muenchen and federal copresident of the Green Party Mrs. Antje Radcke. On April 7 Khramov has been received by the Burgermeister on the City of Dueren Mrs. Paul Larue.
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TELEX
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OBJECTOR IS SENTENCED TO A FINE FOR "EVADING THE MILITARY SERVICE"
March 2, Lyskovo (Nizhegorodsky region). The City Court of Lyskovo sentenced the 22-years conscientious objector Andrey Vasiliev who since 1997 has been striving for his constitutional right to perform the alternative civilian service instead of the military service, to a fine of 200 minimal salaries (more than 16 000 rubles) according to the Art. 328.1 of the Russian Criminal Code ("evading the military service"). The proceedings were conducted in the absence of the prosecutor and had a distinctly accusatory nature. The counsel for the defence of Vasiliev, the member of the ARA Sergey Sorokin made a cassation complaint against this verdict.
ACTION AGAINST THE CONSCRIPTION SLAVERY IN RYAZAN
March 5, Ryazan. Eight militants of the regional public organization "For the abolition of the conscription" carried out a picket in ul. Pobedy. Slogans of the action: "Professional army - for Russia!", "No - to the conscription slavery!", "For the abolition of the conscription!", "Let's support Neverovsky!". The participants collected signatures under the petition of the Radical Party and the Antimilitarist Radical association to the deputies of the State Duma "Third Millenium without the Conscription Slavery". The participants of the picket have said that the majority of the passers-by supported the action.
"PEACE SHIFT" IN YEKATERINBURG
March 11, Yekaterinburg. A regular "Peace shift" organized by the Antiwar committee was held in Yekaterinburg on March 11, 2000 from 14.00 to 15.00. The picket against the Chechen war and in defence of the prisoner of conscience Dmitry Neverovsky was organized in the center of Yekaterinburg near the entrance to the "Historical public garden". The participants held placards: "Chechen war is a business on blood", "Crimes against humanity have not term of limitation", "Chechen war is a new electoral technology", "Killing children cannot be justified", "Freedom to the prisoner of conscience Dmitry Neverovsky" etc. The leaflets of the Antiwar committee were spread during the action.
DAY OF ACTIONS AGAINST THE CHECHEN WAR: A MANIFESTATION IN THE CAPITAL
March 19, Moscow. A manifestation against the Chechen war was organized at Pushkinskaya square by the Committee for antiwar actions. Several hundreds of people took part in the antiwar rally. Among speakers were Ida Kuklina (member of the Coordination Council of the Union of the committees of soldiers' mothers of Russia), Tatiana Kotlyar (deputy of the Obninsk City Council, mother of Dmitry Neverovsky), Nikolay Khramov (secretary of the ARA), Larisa Bogoraz (veteran of the movement for the human rights) etc. The militants of the Radical Party and the ARA organized tables and collected 227 signatures under the petition against the Chechen war, 143 signatures under the petition "Third Millenium without the Conscription Slavery" for the abolition of the conscription and the transition to the professional army, 80 signatures under the declaration to the General Prosecutor's Office demanding to change the preventive measures concerning Dmitry Neverovsky, and 3 980 rubles donated by the citizens for antiwar and an
timilitarist initiatives.
DAY OF ACTIONS AGAINST THE CHECHEN WAR: A RALLY IN YEKATERINBURG
March 19, Yekaterinburg. A rally against the Chechen war and the militarization of the society was organized by the Yekaterinburg Antiwar committee at the square near the city circus. The participants of the rally demanded to cease immediately military actions in Chechnya and begin negotiations with the legitimate president of Chechnya Aslan Maskhadov. Representatives of the public organizations and movements expressed their concern for the situation in the Chechen Republic and Russia. The declarations of the Yekaterinburg Antiwar committee and Moscow Committee for the antiwar actions were announced at the rally. Near the rally a "peace alley" was organized: dozens of small placards with different slogans and information were placed along the pavement.
NIKOLAY KHRAMOV CLUB: "YAVLINSKY FOR PRESIDENT"
March 20, Moscow. A session of the direction of the regional political public organization "Khramov Club - union for the libertarian reforms" was held today in Moscow. A resolution proposed by the Chairman of the Club Nikolay Khramov was adopted by the majority. In this resolution the Club called "all the members of the Club, all the Russian members of the Radical Party, all the members and participants of the Antimilitarist radical association, all the antagonists of the war and the militarism, all the adherents of the Law, freedom, state of law and civic society in our country to vote at the presidential elections on March 26 for Grigory Yavlinsky - the only one candidate who had courage to declare repeatedly, widely and publicly his opposition to the Chechen war and the militarist policy of the regime".
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION: VASILY BAZHENOV IS ACQUTTED
March 23, Moscow. The Tushinsky Intermunicipal Court of Moscow (judge Elena Nikitina) has acquited for the lack of corpus delicti the member of the Radical Party and the ARA Vasily Bazhenov, accused of "evading the military service" according to Art. 328.1 of the Russian Criminal Code. Since autumn of 1996 Vasily Bazhenov has been striving for his constitutional right to conscientiously object. The proceedings have been carried out since June 3, 1998, the sittings have been several times delayed. On February 2, 2000 the judge Lunina proposed to the accused to close the criminal case "after the expiry of term of limitation", but Vasily Bazhenov rejected this decision and declared that he didn't considered himself guilty and was going to strive for the sentence of "not guilty" in the course of court-sittings.
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR ACCUSED OF DESERTION
March 22, Petrozavodsk (Karelia). The Military Prosecutor's Office of the Petrozavodsk garrison brought an accusation of desertion according to the Art. 338.1 of the Russian Criminal Code against Andrey Zudov. Last June Andrey Zudov, reserve officer, graduated from the Petrozavodsk State University, sent to the Military Commissar of Kondopoga city his declaration asking to perform the alternative civilian service instead of the military service. He never received an answer. On December 23, 1999 Zudov was handed an order to leave for the place of the military service as an officer. Zudov appealed against this order at the court. But on January 24 the Military Prosecutor's Office, not waiting for the decision of the court, instituted criminal proceedings against Zudov according to the Art. 338. On February 3 the City Court of Kondopoga refused to satisfy the complaint of Alexey Zudov qualifying his reasons as "evading to perform his civil duty". On March 21 the Supreme Court of the Republic of Karelia confirme
d the decision of the City Court of Condopoga. Alexey Zudov can be sentenced to 7 years of imprisonment.
ANTIWAR ACTION IN YEKATERINBURG
March 25, Yekaterinburg. The "Peace shift" organized by the Yekaterinburg Antiwar committee goes on here. On March 25 an antiwar information station was established in the traditional place of gathering of the antiwar militants of Yekaterinburg, near the monument to the founders of the city. The militiamen disliked very much the placard "Chechen war is a new electoral technology" which they considered a pre-election agitation. The consultant of the Movement against the violence Edelev has been said that all the antiwar slogans are an agitation against Putin and they must be removed.
THE RADICALS TOOK PART IN THE ANTI-PUTIN MANIFESTATION ORGANIZED BY THE DEMOCRATIC UNION
March 31, Moscow. Several militants of the Radical Party and the ARA carrying antiwar slogans took part in the manifestation organized by the Democratic Union headed by Valeria Novodvorskaya. The manifestation took place near the State Duma and was directed against the militarist policy of the new elected president Putin.
ANTIMILITARIST "DAY OF LAUGH" IN YEKATERINBURG
April 1, Yekaterinburg. The militants of the Yekaterinburg Movement against the violence carried out a theatrical action near the regional Military Comissariat. The action was dedicated to the Day of Laugh and the beginning of the regular spring call-up for the military service.
SEMINAR ON THE PROBLEMS OF THE CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION
April 6 - 9, Perm. The seminar "Conscientious objection - the defence of the rights of objectors in the court" took place in the hotel "Ural". Lawyers and human rights champions from different countries of the CIS. The Antimilitarist Radical association was represented by the treasurer of the ARA Anna Zaytseva. The participants discussed different aspects of this problem and shared their experience of the defence of the rights of the objectors.
PRESENTATION OF THE ANTIMILITARIST RADICAL CAMPAIGNS IN PERM
April 9, Perm. A regional presentation of the petition campaigns of the Radical Party and the ARA "Third Millenium without the Conscription Slavery", against the Chechen war and the campaign for the defence of Dmitry Neverovsky took place here. The treasurer of the ARA Anna Zaytseva and the deputy secretary of the ARA Alyona Asayeva took part in the presentation.
MOSCOW CITY COURT CONFIRMED: VASILY BAZHENOV IS NOT GUILTY
April 25, Moscow. The Moscow City Court examined by cassation the sentence of "not guilty" to the member of the ARA Vasily Bazhenov passed a month ago by the Tushinsky Intermunicipal Court. The Tushinsky Intermunicipal Prosecutor's Office appealed against this decision because it wasn't satisfied by the fact that the court had directly applied the Constitution in the case of the conscientious objection. The representative of the Moscow City Prosecutor's Office in his speech at the Moscow City Court has said that the Moscow City Prosecutor's Office doesn't support the cassation appeal of the Tushinsky Prosecutor's Office. The decision of the Moscow City Court was to confirm the sentence.
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SOON
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=> APRIL 27, MOSCOW, PUSHKINSKAYA SQ. 17.00
Manifestation of the Committee for the antiwar actions against the Chechen war.
For further information: http://www.hro.org/war,
tel. (095) 208-4902
=> MAY 4, 5, 6, MOSCOW
SOUTH ENTRANCE OF THE METRO STATION "LENINSKY PROSPECT"
17.00 - 20.00: street table of the Radical Party and the ARA to collect signatures under the petitions against the Chechen war and for the abolition of the conscription slavery.
For further information and/or to join the voluntary work at the table connect: Alyona Asayeva, pager (095) 788-0088 ab. 24712.
