Serbia: The 'Belgrade 6' are free - for now

from various sources, updated 3 March 2010:

There was a tremendous turn out of supporters for the start of the Belgrade 6 case. There was also many supporters from outside Serbia, which included may supporters from the IWA sections. All the main Serbian TV channels were also present.

Little information come from inside the courts, so it was a long day for supporters waiting outside with all sorts of conflicting rumours circulating about what was happening inside. Our concerns were only increased when several anarchist from Croatia were arrested for unfolding a banner which read ANARCHISM IS NOT TERRORISM. They now face up to a month in prison.

At 3.30pm loud clapping come from inside the court. A few minutes later supporters, who had been allowed in the court, emerged to announce that the Belgrade 6 were going to be released in effect on bail. There was plenty of confusion but it later confirmed that they were going to be released until March 23rd when they would still face terrorist charges.

But the fact that they had been released was a tremendous victory. Later in the evening the Belgrade 6 were informed that the charges of terrorism would be dropped and replaced with a lesser charge.

Needless to say the mood among the family and supporters was euphoric. At the meeting after the release we were informed about some disturbing treatment the Belgrade 6 had received while they were in prison.

The fight is not over, the Belgrade 6 may still face serious charges when they return to court on the 23rd March. We must keep up the pressure on the Serbian state. But the fact that they have been released and the terrorist charges dropped is a massive victory, But the campaign must continue until all charges are dropped and the Serbian state is held accountable for actions.

Long live the IWA

Anthony Crowther
Acting IWA Secretary

[original article]

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from imc-uk, 17 February 2010:

The 'Belgrade Six' were released today, on the first day of their court hearing. All six were charged for 'International Terrorism', maximum penalty 15 years imprisonment, for an action at Belgrade's Greek embassy which caused 18 Euros. The Belgrade Six have been imprisoned since their arrest in September 2009. They faced blackmail and abuse.

On the 24th of August 2009 a window of Belgrade's Greek embassy was painted with an anarchist A, had a window smashed and had minor smoke damage caused to it.

The action was carried out to protest the Greek State and to express solidarity with Todoris Iliopulos. Iliopulos was in an extremely critical situation, on the verge of death: he had been on hunger strike since July 10. His hunger strike was related to his imprisonment after the uprisings 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 most known anarchist in Serbia, Ratibor Trivunac from the Anarcho-Syndicalist Initiative (ASI – the Serbian section of the International Workers’ Association) was interviewed in the press the day after the action at the Greek embassy. He stated that he did not know 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.

On September 3-4, six members of ASI were arrested, including Trivunac.

The case of the Belgrade Six has brought back recent memories of the region's dark political past, and their acquittal is seen as a major event in itself.

Activists in Stockholm, Sweden, were amongst the first internationals to find out about the release. Fifteen activists braced the snow and held a solidarity demonstration for the Belgrade Six outside the Serbian embassy of Stockholm today. The Serbian Ambassador came out to the demonstration to announce the breaking news.

Serbian newspaper B92.net confirms this here

The Serbian Ambassador, obviously very happy, commented, "You call this a demonstration? Fifteen people? In Serbia we have 500,000 people in a demonstration! I have been a part of them!"

[original article]

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