On the morning of Sept. 3rd 2009 the Serbian police arrested four comrades of „Anarhosindikalisticka inicijativa“ (ASI-IWA). The circumstances known so far let apprehend an extensive attempt of criminalization.
On Thursday morning the police attempted to execute two house searches in Belgrade. They tried to enter the apartment of comrade Tadej Kurepa without a valid search warrant. Tadej refused access and was further „asked“ to come along to the police station for a witness report. But instead of the announced entering on the records he was taken into custody at the police station. Also at comrade Ratibor Trivunac’s apartment a house search could not be conducted, beacause Ratibor was not at home. By phone the police asked him to come to the police station for interrogation. There he was also taken into custody. Even more questionable was the approach on Ivan Vulovic. Ivan was not at home – but therefore his father. Without hesitation the police detained Ivan’s father and informed Ivan that they would only set him free when Ivan would go into custody…
Meanwhile it was confirmed, that a fourth comrade – Sanje – was also detained. as well as a fifth person from Belgrade, who is however unknown to the ASI. Ivan suffers from epilepsy and already has had a fierce epileptic seizure at the police station Thursday nigth.
The story had apparently started with a Molotov cocktail at the Greek embassy, which was supposedly thrown by the anonymous group “Crni Ilija” in solidarity with the still imprisoned greek anarchist Thodoros Iliopoulos on Aug. 25th. Thodoros was arrested in the course of the weeks-lasting revolt, following the murder of 15-years-old Alexis in Greece.
All accusations and the detentions seem to be founded with this single Molotov cocktail. Just the next day the Serbian media had already perceived the culprits. The only frankly libertarian organisation in Serbia – the anarchosyndicalistic union ASI – was brougth into connection with the Molotov cocktail. Already on Aug. 27th the ASI had informed comrades worldwide, that the Serbian media wages a fully fledged campaign against the ASI and namely Ratibor.
All five persons are in custody of the police and will be brougth before a examining magistrate on Saturday morning, after expiration of the 48-hours term, who will then decide about a possible imprisonment on remand. The police detained all with the accusation of „causation of public danger“ and seem to attempt to construct a charge with the same wording.
The facts that the ASI is currently administrating the secretariat of the IWA, the anarchosyndicalistic „International Workers Association“ and that Ratibor Trivunac is their current general secretary of thr IWA are further striking details.
It remains to be seen, if the Serbian tribunal will cover the elusive methods of the police and remand our four comrades and the the other unknown person in custody. The ASI is striving for representation by counsel of the imprisoned and also the IWA secretariat is still functional and operated by the other comrades.
Homepage of the Syndicalist Union ASI http://www.inicijativa.org
International Workers Association, IWA http://www.iwa-ait.org
Informations by the Spanish CNT http://www.cnt.es/node/1370
Bourgeois Media:
Austrian Press about the „Assault“ http://derstandard.at/1250691221426/Anarchisten-bekennen-sich-zu-Anschlag-auf-griechische-Botschaft
A symbolic articel in a Serbian newspaper http://www.pressonline.rs/page/stories/sr.html?view=story&id=77658§ionId=37
http://asi.zsp.net.pl/serbian-anarchosyndicalists-arrested/