Six members of the Serbian section of the International Workers Association, the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative are facing charges of “international terrorism” in relation to an attack on the Greek Embassy in Belgrade. The six; Tadej Kurep, Ivan Vulović, Sanja Dojkić, Ratibor Trivunac, Ivan Savic and Nikola Mitrovic, have been imprisoned on remand since early September, originally being held for three months before being finally being charged in December, much longer than the legal thirty day period allowed under Serbian law. Their trail is due to begin on February 17th but maybe delayed due to the possibility of a lawyers’ strike on the 16th.
The ASI has been targeted by the Serbian authorities because of the high visibility of their organisation with its reputation of successful struggle. Despite the fact that negligible damage was caused and that responsibility was claimed by another group Crna Ilija, the six are facing sentences of up to fifteen years if found guilty. Most people associate international terrorism with bloody and deadly attacks against the civilian population, with acts of terror committed in foreign countries, not acts of vandalism.
What actually happened?
On the night of August 24-25, there was an “action” at the Greek Embassy in Belgrade. It was carried out to express solidarity with Todoris Iliopulos and to protest against the repression of the Greek State. Iliopulos had been on hunger strike since July 10 and was in a critical situation, on the verge of death: His hunger strike was related to his imprisonment after the events of December 2008 in Greece. Although prisoners from that time had been released, Iliopulos was facing various charges for the December events on false testimony made by police.
The 'action' consisted of the spray painting of the anarchist circled A symbol on the embassy, the breaking of a window and the throwing of a 'Molotov cocktail' at the building which singed a window frame and caused a little smoke damage. According to the prosecution documents, the total amount of damage done to the Greek Embassy in the August vandalism incident amounted to 18 Euros.
The most well known anarchist in Serbia, Ratibor Trivunac from the ASI was interviewed in the press the next day. He stated that he did not know of such a group and that this was not the way anarcho-syndicalists usually chose for their struggle. However, he, just like the others from ASI, refused to condemn this act, which they considered to be nothing in comparison to the damage done by the repressive Greek state.
Background of events
In the last couple of years, Tens of Thousands of workers have taken to streets or engaged in direct action as a result of their dire economic situation. The state has banned workers' demonstrations in the centre of Belgrade and has been actively seeking ways of repressing the unrest. These arrests also come against a background of general political repression and vilification in Serbia and they have not been a complete surprise. Earlier in the year Ratibor Trivunac had warned that he and others might be scapegoated after a court order had been granted allowing the state security services to keep ASI members under surveillance. It seems that in Serbia, your political convictions are enough to get you locked up and facing the most serious of charges.
Responses
The treatment of the six has prompted a group of academics at the University of Belgrade, together with people from the world of culture, to circulate an open letter expressing their concerns over the “political background of double standards” in this case. The duplicity of the Serbian authorities is illustrated through comparing their attitude towards this minor damage on the embassy of Greece, a state that has sided with Serbia in various international confrontations of recant decades, with another incident in February 2008. Then after the declaration of independence by Kosovo, the U.S. Embassy was substantially damaged by fire and one person was killed. Nobody was accused of a serious crime in this case, a marked difference.
Hundreds of protests and pickets have been held around the world, mostly of Serbian embassies and consulates. The Solidarity Federation, sister organisation of the ASI has held two pickets of the Serbian Embassy in London with support from Permanent Revolution, Anarchist Federation, Autonomy and Solidarity and others. They have also organised benefit gigs and other fund-raisers. Thousands of e-mails protesting this fit-up by the Serbian state have also been sent.
Solidarity is not a word, it is our weapon!
How to support
1. Spread the word about the case. Put texts and / or banners on your website. Translate texts if you can.
2. Sign up as a group which supports the release of the prisoners.
3. Organize a protest, direct action, benefit gig or other solidarity action in your city.
4. Donate money to help pay for legal costs. (see information below.)
5. Write articles, contribute artwork.
6. Send letters.
PROTEST LETTERS ONLINE: www.asi.zsp.net.pl
DONATIONS TO LEGAL FUND
Directly to Serbia:
Bank Information:
SWIFT: RZBSRSBG
RAIFFEISEN BANKA AD Bulevar Zorana Djindjica 64 BEOGRAD, RS
Beneficiary customer: IBAN RS35265050000016043150
MILAN (MILUTIN) STOJANOVIĆ
ADDRESS: SENJE