https://againstthecurrent.org/international-appeal-for-the-immediate-release-of-all-political-prisoners-in-russia/ <https://againstthecurrent.org/international-appeal-for-the-immediate-release-of-all-political-prisoners-in-russia/>
AT THE END of January 2021, a wave of mass protests swept through all of Russia’s major cities. The occasion for these protests was the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, <https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-evolution-of-alexey-navalnys-nationalism> but the genuine cause was the enormous social inequality and political disenfranchisement prevailing in the country. Not all of those who took to the streets were supporters of Navalny, but they were all united by a desire for social and political change and a fatigue with the corrupt, authoritarian regime ruling Russia today. Peaceful protesters faced unprecedented (even for Putin’s Russia) police brutality: in a few days, over 10,000 people were arrested, many of them beaten on arrest. A climate of fear was created in the country: students who participated in the rallies have been expelled from universities, teachers who sympathized with them have lost their jobs, and school students have been intimidated for voicing their political stance. While we disagree with Navalny’s pro-capitalist orientation, which on this point is not different from that of Putin’s regime and represents no real social and democratic alternative, we demand the immediate release of Alexei Navalny and all political prisoners, and stand in solidarity with all those in Russia who are fighting for social and environmental justice and fundamental democratic rights. Followed by a list of signers -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#7502): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/7502 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/81595664/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
