PRESS-RELEASE

Moscow, December 19, 2000

Recently the citizens have begun to address more frequently to the Antimilitarist Radical Association in connection with illegal violent actions on the part of the employees of the military commissariats in respect of the draftees.

Thus, on Friday, December 15, Pavel Tkachuk came to the ARA to take legal advice. He told that he had been detained in the metro by a militiaman who followed orders of an unknown man in civvies. As it became clear later, this man had a bearing on the Khoroshevsky military commissariat.

The young man was brought firstly to the Khoroshevsky military commissariat and then to the recruit depot - the notorious "Ugreshka". Despite the fact that Pavel didn't pass the draft board and several times officially declared that he intended to perform the alternative civilian service instead of the military service, he was told that he was drafted into the forces of the Ministry for the Interior and ignoring his protests he was forced to get into the bus which carried Pavel together with other young men to the Kursky railroad station. In the bustle he availed himself of the inattention of the overseers and managed to get free. Then he came to the ARA seeking advice and support.

The similar case is what happened today to Georgy Karamov. Despite the fact that he submitted an application of conscientious objection and didn't pass the draft board, the employees of the Golovinsky military commissariat announced that he was drafted, and now he is held in Ugreshskaya street, at the territory of the recruit depot, before leaving for the army.

The number of the criminal proceedings instituted by the prosecutor's offices against the objectors is also increasing.

The increasing frequency of such cases is alarming, this is apparently engendered by the desire of the employees of the military commissariats at any price to fulfil the plan of the draft in order to provide the Russian army waging an undeclared war against its own people in Chechnya with "cannon-fodder". As a result of disgraceful inactivity of the law and force bodies, military commissars feeling silent approval of the authorities look more and more like slave-traders and the "Ugreshka" - like a slave market. The season of hunting for draftees is open!

To stop this shameful practice, to prevent the officials of the Ministry for the Defense from kidnapping, the ARA calls all the reasonable people who realize the fallaciousness of the draft system and the necessity of the radical army reform, to speak openly and resolutely against the impunity of the kidnappers with shoulder-straps. We ask you to support young men who are guilty only of fighting for their legal right and aren't going to submit to the lawless actions of the military commissariats. This isn't only their problem: tomorrow it can touch everybody nearly!

For further information:

tel. (095) 2081805; (902) 1165376

www.ara.ru

ANTIMILITARIST RADICAL ASSOCIATION

(associated to the Radical Party)

Pechatnikov per. 6

103045 Moscow, Russia

tel./fax: (095) 208-1805

E-mail: ara@ara.ru, a.r.a@agora.stm.it

Internet URL: http://www.ara.ru