Integration Nightmare

Today Ukrainian secret police tried to deport several Belarusian anarchists who left Belarus several years go in fear of political prosecution. Luckily information traveled fast and while the flat was still raided people started gathering in front of the houses of activists. After some struggle with local police, lawyers managed to get to the activists and stop the whole process. Deportation papers were not sanctioned by any court rather directly signed by SBU (Security Service of Ukraine). After the information storm SBU gave up on deporting the activists to Belarus, however it seems like they will have to leave the country in the next 24 hours.

This is not the first case of deportation of belarusian anarchists. Several weeks ago one anarchist was returning to Ukraine where she was living for several months already, in the airport police said that she is banned to enter the country. No papers were given clarifying such decision. Luckily the person was given a choice whether to go to Belarus or Poland, and she decided not to return home yet.

This “operation” seems to be part of a crackdown on the anarchist movement in Ukraine. This is right now mainly pushed by the right-wing and nazis close to the SBU and police forces. This is one of the reason why public pressure worked in stopping the deportation – right-wingers do not have such a strong influence yet outside the repressive apparatus and are still controlled mostly by liberals.

On the other side all the belarusian anarchists that got in trouble with SBU were included in the list published by belarusian political police. The cops believe that all the activists are members of the international organized criminal organization of anarchists. Right now at least 10 people are in prison in Belarus because of this case.

So far due to the high activity of secret police forces in Ukraine it is not recommended for the belarusian anarchists to go there even if you are not included in the published list.