Holden Caulfield
19th May 2009, 14:18
"Official statement of Ukrainian President on April, 22 is the beginning
for persecution of antifascists in Ukraine?"
On April 22 the president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko made an official
statement that there is an extremist organisation Antifa in Ukraine
and demanded from SBU (Ukraine Security Service) to check all the
information concerning coordination of its activity by the foreign
anti-Ukrainian organizations. This is an exceptional incident: the
president points out to the law enforcing services that there are
extremists in Ukraine, names them, and insinuates who their real
organizers and patrons are.
But where the president got such information?
On April 17, in Odesa during the skirmish between ultra-rights and
antifascists one of the far rights (Maksim Chaika) had been injured and
later died. In spite of the evidence that ultra-rights attacked a
smaller group of antifascists, who simply defended themselves, nobody -
neither journalists, nor politicians - have used the term
"self-defense". Instead antifascists were labeled as pro-Russia
militants, who consciously killed "an activist of patriotic civic
association" (mass-media statement). The attack of one side and
self-defense of the others have become an instrument of political PR for
those who want to use this tragedy to gain certain points or to
eliminate opponents.
The presidents statement was the culmination. From his words we got to
know about the organization Antifa, which is extremist and which, of
course, is coordinated from the hostile 'foreign centers'. Nevertheless,
antifa is not an organization but a network movement; not Ukrainian or
Anti-Ukrainian but worldwide; and, of course, the president has not
produced any proofs. And what do we know about another side of the skirmish?
The deceased Maksim Chaika was a leader of Odesa far rights, member of
the organization "SICH" (Glory and Honor) and a football fan of FC
Chornomorets. Partly because of Chornomorets fans the city of Odesa
periodically appears in human rights monitoring reports concerning
racial or national hate crimes. We mean not only vandalism on Jewish
cemetery but also attacks with human victims. In the last few days many
Internet-users have received access to photo and video materials
confirming that force, which attackers of April 17 belong to, is not
just patriotic. In particular we could see so called 'roman' (Nazi)
salutes, Nazi symbols, stories about participating in actions against
foreigners.
SICH civic association, which Maksim Chaika belonged to, is a member
of so called 'Social-nationalist assembly' together with the odious
Ukraine's Patriot association. Materials published both on the
Assembly and Ukraines Patriot web-sites leave no doubts in
neo-fascist and paramilitary character of these organizations. But the
president Yushchenko, in spite of the stated above, has decided to
choose young antifascists as a target, relying on the invalid data from
prejudiced politicians.
In the last few days it was repeatedly mentioned that inquiry has got a
video record of the attack on April 17. We are afraid that this record
could be destroyed, in particular, because of the political pressure -
its content contradicts to the Nazi-attackers version. Not to let this
happen, we publicly announce our anxiety and demand to save the record.
We are receiving information about use of pressure on the witnesses by
the law enforcement officials - both psychological and physical - only
to purpose testimonies corresponding to the attackers version.
Events in Odesa could light up the fact that youth fascism in Ukraine
has existed long ago, as well as confrontation between activists of far
right and antifascist movements. Instead, we see politicized hysteria
which only disgraces its participants.
We demand finding and investigation of the facts without any distortion,
manipulation and pre-election persecution.
Antifascist action
Contact: antifascist.action.kiev [] gmail.com
http://antifa-action.org.ua/node/68 (http://antifa-action.org.ua/node/68)
Chayka Affair Will Not Be Investigated Impartially
Antifascists and human rights activists consider Ukrainian President
Viktor Yuschenkos recent statement to be intended to manipulate the
public opinion and pressurize the investigation. They said it on April
24 in Kiev.
On April 21 the President said he would personally monitor investigation
of the death of Ukrainian neo-Nazi Maksim Chayka who was killed during
the fight between the far-right extremists and antifascists in Odessa.
We really doubt that the inquest will be impartial and unbiased now,
after the intervention of the President of State, said Vladimir
Chemeris from Respublika Institute, the human rights watchdog. He
stressed that in the statement published by his press officer Iryna
Vannikova, Mr. Yuschenko defined the incident as murder, not as
self-defense.
At the same time, the President proclaimed members of Antifa
organization non-existent, by the way to be extremists and ordered
the law enforcement agencies to scrutinize political motives of the
murder. Referring to the racial purity advocates as patriots, the
President shows his sympathy with Nazi, Mr. Chemeris said. He also
added that Mr. Yuschenkos theses are almost fully coherent with stance
of the Nazi organizations Patriot Ukrainy (Patriot of Ukraine),
Bratstvo (Brotherhood), and Svoboda (Freedom).
Members of the Antifa movement said that the activist of the far-right
radical organization Sich Maksim Chayka was lethally wounded as a
result of the necessary self-defense of the antifascists. Yuriy Lebedev
from the Antifashystska diya (Antifascist action) movement underlined
that the incident happened after 15 neo-Nazis had attacked 5
antifascists. Police must have the CCTV video record which can prove it.
Antifa had no doubts about the far-rights aggressiveness. Statistical
data on hate crimes including murders shows the threat of Nazi in the
streets, he said.
Vitaliy Dudin from the Sotsialna alternatyva (Social Alternative)
movement said that Ukrainian President wrongly defined Antifa as
pro-Russian extremist movement. Antifa is not an organization, its the
global union of men and women opposed to Nazism among the youth. As
advocates of interracial equality and solidarity, we are the direct
opposite of the Nazis, he stressed. Mr. Dudin added that now Nazis are
playing victims, but before this incident they always stressed their
militancy. Antifascists also reject the accusations of pro-Russian
orientation: they remind that in Russia, as well as elsewhere in Europe,
there are Antifa who often engage in conflicts with authorities.
Speakers also provided proofs that Sich is a radical Right
organization. It is a member of the so-called Social-national assembly
which propagates racism. Views of the late Maksim Chayka are explained
by himself in a video record which recently appeared on the internet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5klXAu-LDU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5klXAu-LDU).
The press conference was also attended by the antifascist from Kiev who
had fallen victim of Odessa criminal police. On April 22 he was detained
and taken from home to Odessa for interrogation during which he was
beaten and received spine trauma. He was finally released with no money
or documents in a city 500 km away from home. He was detained because he
had personally known Odessa antifascists who had taken part in the fight
on April 17. He promised to appeal against the actions of the police.
Meanwhile, antifascists from all regions of Ukraine expect repressions
from the authorities.
for persecution of antifascists in Ukraine?"
On April 22 the president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko made an official
statement that there is an extremist organisation Antifa in Ukraine
and demanded from SBU (Ukraine Security Service) to check all the
information concerning coordination of its activity by the foreign
anti-Ukrainian organizations. This is an exceptional incident: the
president points out to the law enforcing services that there are
extremists in Ukraine, names them, and insinuates who their real
organizers and patrons are.
But where the president got such information?
On April 17, in Odesa during the skirmish between ultra-rights and
antifascists one of the far rights (Maksim Chaika) had been injured and
later died. In spite of the evidence that ultra-rights attacked a
smaller group of antifascists, who simply defended themselves, nobody -
neither journalists, nor politicians - have used the term
"self-defense". Instead antifascists were labeled as pro-Russia
militants, who consciously killed "an activist of patriotic civic
association" (mass-media statement). The attack of one side and
self-defense of the others have become an instrument of political PR for
those who want to use this tragedy to gain certain points or to
eliminate opponents.
The presidents statement was the culmination. From his words we got to
know about the organization Antifa, which is extremist and which, of
course, is coordinated from the hostile 'foreign centers'. Nevertheless,
antifa is not an organization but a network movement; not Ukrainian or
Anti-Ukrainian but worldwide; and, of course, the president has not
produced any proofs. And what do we know about another side of the skirmish?
The deceased Maksim Chaika was a leader of Odesa far rights, member of
the organization "SICH" (Glory and Honor) and a football fan of FC
Chornomorets. Partly because of Chornomorets fans the city of Odesa
periodically appears in human rights monitoring reports concerning
racial or national hate crimes. We mean not only vandalism on Jewish
cemetery but also attacks with human victims. In the last few days many
Internet-users have received access to photo and video materials
confirming that force, which attackers of April 17 belong to, is not
just patriotic. In particular we could see so called 'roman' (Nazi)
salutes, Nazi symbols, stories about participating in actions against
foreigners.
SICH civic association, which Maksim Chaika belonged to, is a member
of so called 'Social-nationalist assembly' together with the odious
Ukraine's Patriot association. Materials published both on the
Assembly and Ukraines Patriot web-sites leave no doubts in
neo-fascist and paramilitary character of these organizations. But the
president Yushchenko, in spite of the stated above, has decided to
choose young antifascists as a target, relying on the invalid data from
prejudiced politicians.
In the last few days it was repeatedly mentioned that inquiry has got a
video record of the attack on April 17. We are afraid that this record
could be destroyed, in particular, because of the political pressure -
its content contradicts to the Nazi-attackers version. Not to let this
happen, we publicly announce our anxiety and demand to save the record.
We are receiving information about use of pressure on the witnesses by
the law enforcement officials - both psychological and physical - only
to purpose testimonies corresponding to the attackers version.
Events in Odesa could light up the fact that youth fascism in Ukraine
has existed long ago, as well as confrontation between activists of far
right and antifascist movements. Instead, we see politicized hysteria
which only disgraces its participants.
We demand finding and investigation of the facts without any distortion,
manipulation and pre-election persecution.
Antifascist action
Contact: antifascist.action.kiev [] gmail.com
http://antifa-action.org.ua/node/68 (http://antifa-action.org.ua/node/68)
Chayka Affair Will Not Be Investigated Impartially
Antifascists and human rights activists consider Ukrainian President
Viktor Yuschenkos recent statement to be intended to manipulate the
public opinion and pressurize the investigation. They said it on April
24 in Kiev.
On April 21 the President said he would personally monitor investigation
of the death of Ukrainian neo-Nazi Maksim Chayka who was killed during
the fight between the far-right extremists and antifascists in Odessa.
We really doubt that the inquest will be impartial and unbiased now,
after the intervention of the President of State, said Vladimir
Chemeris from Respublika Institute, the human rights watchdog. He
stressed that in the statement published by his press officer Iryna
Vannikova, Mr. Yuschenko defined the incident as murder, not as
self-defense.
At the same time, the President proclaimed members of Antifa
organization non-existent, by the way to be extremists and ordered
the law enforcement agencies to scrutinize political motives of the
murder. Referring to the racial purity advocates as patriots, the
President shows his sympathy with Nazi, Mr. Chemeris said. He also
added that Mr. Yuschenkos theses are almost fully coherent with stance
of the Nazi organizations Patriot Ukrainy (Patriot of Ukraine),
Bratstvo (Brotherhood), and Svoboda (Freedom).
Members of the Antifa movement said that the activist of the far-right
radical organization Sich Maksim Chayka was lethally wounded as a
result of the necessary self-defense of the antifascists. Yuriy Lebedev
from the Antifashystska diya (Antifascist action) movement underlined
that the incident happened after 15 neo-Nazis had attacked 5
antifascists. Police must have the CCTV video record which can prove it.
Antifa had no doubts about the far-rights aggressiveness. Statistical
data on hate crimes including murders shows the threat of Nazi in the
streets, he said.
Vitaliy Dudin from the Sotsialna alternatyva (Social Alternative)
movement said that Ukrainian President wrongly defined Antifa as
pro-Russian extremist movement. Antifa is not an organization, its the
global union of men and women opposed to Nazism among the youth. As
advocates of interracial equality and solidarity, we are the direct
opposite of the Nazis, he stressed. Mr. Dudin added that now Nazis are
playing victims, but before this incident they always stressed their
militancy. Antifascists also reject the accusations of pro-Russian
orientation: they remind that in Russia, as well as elsewhere in Europe,
there are Antifa who often engage in conflicts with authorities.
Speakers also provided proofs that Sich is a radical Right
organization. It is a member of the so-called Social-national assembly
which propagates racism. Views of the late Maksim Chayka are explained
by himself in a video record which recently appeared on the internet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5klXAu-LDU (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5klXAu-LDU).
The press conference was also attended by the antifascist from Kiev who
had fallen victim of Odessa criminal police. On April 22 he was detained
and taken from home to Odessa for interrogation during which he was
beaten and received spine trauma. He was finally released with no money
or documents in a city 500 km away from home. He was detained because he
had personally known Odessa antifascists who had taken part in the fight
on April 17. He promised to appeal against the actions of the police.
Meanwhile, antifascists from all regions of Ukraine expect repressions
from the authorities.