Title: The SBU is putting pressure on members of the anarchist movement
Author: Rev Dia
Topics: repression, Ukraine
Date: 24 April 2021
Source: Retrieved on 26th January 2022 from a translation of revdia.org

On the morning of April 21, it became known that two refugees from Belarus, who consider themselves to be anarchists, had been searched. Security forces tried to forcibly deport them to Belarus, where they are likely to be arrested. In the same way, Oleksandr Frantskevych was forcibly deported. After deportation, he was under constant pressure from the Belarusian KGB, and was later arrested on charges of rioting and forming an extremist group. He now faces up to 15 years in prison.

However, this time the SBU officers failed to force the anarchists to the border due to publicity. The deportation decrees state that Oleksiy Bolenkov must leave Ukraine “for the national security of the state.” Of course, no one specified what exactly he threatens national security with. The SBU simply uses manipulations in the law that allow them to deport anyone without a court order. By the way, international law prohibits the deportation of people who are facing persecution and torture in their homeland.

This is not the first time that special services have been active this year: a month and a half ago, a married couple, who are also linked to the anarchist and anti-fascist movements, were searched; On April 11, a girl returning from Poland was not allowed to enter Ukraine. She was also denied entry by the SBU.

All these cases show that the SBU is pursuing a policy of combating refugees hiding in Ukraine from repression at home. Ukrainian politicians may not show recognition of the Lukashenko regime, oppose Russia, but our special forces. services continue to cooperate with Russian and Belarusian.

We call on refugees from Russia and Belarus to be careful, not to lead public life, to remain calm and to follow the rules of personal security.