About the case
Anarchist Ilya Romanov, who was arrested in the early hours of October
26th 2013 in the city Nizhny Novgorod after a premature explosion of a
homemade device resulting in the amputation of his left wrist, was
recently sentenced to 10 years in prison.
http://actforfree.nostate.net/?s=+Ilya+Romanov%2C+
The trial which began on June 16th 2015 in Nizhny Novgorod local court,
it was tried by judges of the Military Judicial Council sent from
Moscow, because the target of the unsuccessful alleged attack by the
comrade was a military office. On August 6th, after about 20 or so
sessions, the decision was announced: 10 years sentence to hard labour
and a 110.000 ruble (about 1.600 euro) fine.
The judges, while dismissing all conclusions of the specialists called
by the defence, completely accepted all the testimonies of intimidated
and threatened –by the cops- witnesses/snitches and the conclusions of
the specialists of the Ministry of Public Order.
Ilya, who turned 48 this last July, was found guilty of all charges
(“preparation of a terrorist attack”, “inclination to terrorism” and
“construction, possession and transfer of explosives materials”).
It must be noted here that the charge that seriously upgraded the case,
i.e. “the inclination to carry out terrorist attacks” is based solely on
one interview: After his release in December 2012 in Ukraine, Ilya spent
a couple days with some friends in Donetsk, so he can take a breather
after 10 years in prison.
There he also met the local anarchosyndicalists of the Revolutionary Co-federation of
Anarcho-Syndicalists, who taped and then publicized the talk with Ilya.
It seems that what the comrade said had enraged the authorities as much,
maybe even more, than the explosion that a year later costed him an arm
and his freedom:
“I will tell you this about prison: you mustn’t be afraid of prison,
you the youth. Go to prison relaxed. Fight Capital, fight the civil
state even if it means you will go to prison. Do not be afraid, you will
be fine inside there. Normal. No, no one will turn you into rubble. Now,
and this I can tell you, the comrades outside will keep you warm, you
will receive letters and parcels normally. Therefore, you will not die
there. Now, the mortality in prisons is much lower compared to what went
on before in the Ukraine, or even more recently, with Kuchma (former
vice-president of Ukraine). Back then it was terrifying, prisoners
dropped dead like flies. Now that doesn’t happen, you will stay inside
normally. The only drawback is that, I will be blunt, that inside there
is now very stupid youth, these stupid youths are the majority now, but
even with them you can find a form of communication. There is time for
reading, for the bettering of your spiritual level. I say to you: there
is nothing completely terrifying in imprisonment. Therefore do not be
afraid, fight, fight… I feel fine after my release from prison, and I
wish you the same when your turn comes.”
(December 8th 2012, one day
after his release).
In the video that follows you can see parts from the last day of the
trial, where the chairman interrupts the comrade and he spits towards
him, unfortunately only symbolically, since in russian courts the
accused are locked in a glass cage. Towards the end of the video his
lawyer speaks, commenting on the decision and saying that they will
appeal:
via: https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1550868/
Translated by Act for freedom now!