Russian anarchists framed for train bombing

On August 13, a bomb derailed a train traveling from Moscow to St Petersburg, injuring 60 people. Russian authorities immediately placed the blame for the explosion on Chechen rebels (Chechen rebels suspected in Russia train bomb, The Times, August 14, 2007). Since then, blame for the blast has been extended, first from ‘nationalists’ (that is, fascists: Russian nationalists suspected of train bombing, Christian Lowe, Reuters UK, August 15, 2007) to now include, apparently, two anarchists. The International Herald Tribune‘s Russian press review of August 22 states that Kommersant reports that “Police have detained a 25-year-old Chechen man suspected of planting a bomb that derailed a train on August 13. Investigators suspect that two anarchists from St. Petersburg hired Khasan Didigov to plant the bomb, but do not consider him ideologically driven. Lev Ponomaryov, the head of For Human Rights disagreed with the authorities’ assessment. “Out [Our?] anarchists are peaceful people,” he said. The newspaper said the bombing could serve as another pretext for law enforcement to toughen security measures.”

A similar tale is told by The Moscow Times:

‘Nationalists Blamed in Blast’
The Moscow Times
August 24, 2007

First Deputy Prosecutor General Alexander Bastrykin said nationalists were the most likely culprits in a bombing which derailed a train traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg on Aug. 13, Interfax reported Thursday. “The most serious [line of inquiry] is a terrorist attack by nationalist youth groups from Moscow or St. Petersburg,” Bastrykin said in an interview to be published in Rossiiskaya Gazeta on Friday. Investigators, however, are not ruling out the possibility that the bombing was linked to Chechen insurgents or organized crime, he said. Meanwhile, a St. Petersburg anarchist detained this week in connection with the blast has gone on a hunger strike, Ekho Moskvy reported Thursday. Two anarchists and an ethnic Chechen have been detained on suspicion of involvement in the blast. (Reuters, MT)

Soon to be guest of local Australian elites at the upcoming APEC Summit in Sydney, Russian President and war criminal Vladimir Putin’s regime was condemned by the European Court in July for the mass murder of civilians in Chechnya. According to The Times (Tony Halpin, Kremlin is condemned for Chechen massacre, July 27, 2007) “Russia was held responsible for the massacre of dozens of civilians in Chechnya in a judgment yesterday by the European Court of Human Rights. A chamber of seven judges, including one Russian, criticised the Kremlin in unusually severe terms after ruling unanimously in favour of relatives of 11 of the victims. It awarded the five Chechens €143,000 (£95,000) in damages and €20,000 in costs after finding Russian military forces guilty of murder. The dead were among more than 50 people killed in the village of Novye Aldy, near Grozny, the Chechen capital, in February 2000.”

This is the man and the regime the Australian Government wishes to sell uranium to…

The Anarchist Initiative of St. Petersburg has issued a statement in support of the two anarchists arrested by Russian police under suspicion of complicity in the bombing:

Freedom to Andrei Kalyonov and Denis Zelenyuk!

16th of August 2007 in Novgorod Region, in area of Maloy Vishery two members of St. Petersburg Anarchist League (PLA) Andrei Kalyonov and Denis Zelenyuk were arrested. Police suspects they participated to bombing of a bridge under train #166 “Nevskiy express”, which took place 13th of August between Okulovka and Malaya Vishera, and which is investigated as a terrorist attack. 18th of August court of Malovisherskiy area of Novgorod region agreed on arrest of both for 30 days, after which they have to be accused or released.

We, participators of anarchist initiatives of St. Petersburg, categorically refuse accusations against our two comrades, and we declare that they have nothing to do with bombing of “Nevskiy express”.

Anarchist views do not allow violence against innocent people. A. Kalyonov and D. Zelenyuk were in St. Petersburg 13th of August, which may be confirmed by witnesses. Our comrades happened to be in area of Maloy Vishery, because they were traveling to a general meeting of Association of Anarchist Initiatives (ADA-IFA) in Yaroslavl with local trains.

We consider arrest of our comrades as just another aggression from side of authoritarian state regime. Violating norms set by the state for itself, police searched home of Andrei Kalyonov when nobody was there. Door was broken, and officers from the nearest police station were used as witnesses, although neighbours of A. Kalyonov were not against being witnesses. Mother of Andrei, also resident of the flat, was not provided a search warrant. Due to these violations, no “proof” confiscated from house of Andrei may be regarded legal, as nobody was controlling police officers and in uncontrolled situation they could have planted anything to the house without any consequences for them.

We believe, that FSB and police are ultimately responsible for provocation against our comrades. An explosion under train, which takes place half years before yet another parliamentarian elections, reminds us of FSB-inspired bombs in Moscow and Volgodonsk in September of 1999, which served purpose of launching second war in Chechnya and takeover of criminal state regime of V. Putin. Current aggravation of the situation in country only benefits those, who would like to stay in power in Russia for any price. Nothing is too much for them, they will go for any crimes, terrorist attacks and provocations to gain their goals.

We are calling for actions of solidarity for imprisoned anarchists, one of whom, Andrei Kalyonov, announced that he has started a hunger strike.

Free our comrades!
22th of August 2007
St. Petersburg, Russia

About @ndy

I live in Melbourne, Australia. I like anarchy. I don't like nazis. I enjoy eating pizza and drinking beer. I barrack for the greatest football team on Earth: Collingwood Magpies. The 2024 premiership's a cakewalk for the good old Collingwood.
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