From: Vadim Barak : mixam@volny.cz

Subject: IMPORTANT from Prague (jail update, actions!)

This message includes:
a) Update about people in jail
b) Information about demonstration / action on November 17th
c) Suggestion to do solidarity actions around N17

First the bad news: as many of you already know, one of the Polish prisoners was sentenced on Friday to one year in jail. [We don't know whether he wants his name to be announced, that's why we don't write it; some messages have already circulated with his name, it would be nice to take it out until we hear from him whether he agrees with this or not.] This is the first person sentenced because of the protests against the WB/IMF annual meeting. He has received an unconditional sentence, which means that he has to stay the whole year in jail. 

The better news: the trial was so fucked up that this is very unlikely to be the final word on his case. His recently got a new lawyer, apparently one of the best of the country. The prosecution made use of the 'fast-track' process, and every lawyer we've talked to says that it is really strange that he got an unconditional sentence, since this never happens with this kind of cases. These two factors will probably make the revision of his sentence easier. There is also an attempt to get unconditional amnesty but it is not sure that it will work; we'll keep you updated. 

The very good news: according to reliable sources, the remaining Czech prisoner and the other Polish prisoner have both been released. Tomorrow we will send more information about their current legal status. This means that there are only two people about whom we have 100% certainty that they are still in jail for the actions on S26: the polish guy recently sentenced and Mads from Denmark, whose case is also a bit complicated (but who will hopefully get transferred to Denmark with the help of a convention of the Council of Europe). BUT there might be more, read on. 

The police said recently that there are still two Danish persons in jail, after the release of one of the two who was still held according to our information. This was reported nine days ago by the local media (as you can see it yourselves at http://www.centraleurope.com/czechtoday/news.php3?id=212023) but apparently it is wrong. This would not be surprising, since some of the rest of the information in the article is also wrong. For instance, it says that 'Nine other anti-globalization activists -- six Hungarians, two Spaniards and a Dane -- were also freed on Wednesday, but have been charged with "attacking public officials," [the spokeswoman of the prosecutor office] added.', when in fact they were released on Thursday and some have only been charged with property damage. It seems that there's only one Danish person still in jail, but we will continue asking for explanations about this press note. 

The Ukranian woman who was not arrested in relation to the protests (but who was in the Balkova detention centre together with S26 people) is in a detention center for foreigners, and who is soon going to be visited by people from the Human Rights Council (which is part of the government). Hopefully she will be granted asylum, because otherwise she will be expelled from the country. In any event, now the managers of detention centres know that people all over the world (and of some people at the Czech government) are interested in her well-being. 

We are still trying to find out more about the 2 Kurds who were brought to Balkova and not released with all the rest. We will keep you posted if we find out more. The problem getting more information about them is that Balkova depends on the Ministry of the Interior, a nest of pre-89 totalitarian snakes. 

Then there are still the 2 Rumanians and the one US-american that were mentioned in the list of the Czech Embassy in London and that noone knew anything about later. The official version about them now seems to be that they were not arrested in relation with the protests, and that they have been deported long ago, but we will continue enquiring about them. 

In summary: * people still in jail for S26 actions (100% certainty): 1 Polish and 1 Danish * people in detention centres (100% certainty): 1 Ukranian (nothing to do with S26 but we'll continue following her case); * people who according to the prosecutors is still in jail, although this seems not to be the case: 1 Danish * people 'missing': 2 Kurds, 2 Rumanians and 1 US-American 

In the next message we send you some recent Czech articles; please note the one about the plans of the city of prague to organise a ceremony in the honor of the 'dedicated heroes' of the police forces... we'll also keep you informed about that very interesting appointment. 

b) Information about demonstration / action on November 17th 
There will be a protest in Prague on November 17th to denounce the fact that after the velvet revolution too many things have not changed at all. Power remains concentrated, the social situation of many people is worsening each day, and the state still maintains an extraordinarely active repressive machinery which is getting reinforced through the criminalisation, by the media and the state, of people involved in political activities and of the poor. 

This date is very significant in the Czech Republic in the struggle against totalitarian governments (the Nazi rule in 1939 and the stalinist regime in 1989; the protest of the students on N17 in 1989 was the spark of the Velvet Revolution). What we have seen in Prague in relation to the protests against the IMF/WB has some common elements with these regimes. For example, the use of official statements by the state to induce fear and to distance the population from those who reject the power structures, the criminalisation of people who refuse dominant values, the representation of repressive methods as the only way to keep 'public order', etc. 

We think that it is very necessary to break out of our small ghettos of 'usual suspects' in order to reverse the tide of criminalisation. Recent history shows that self-righteous political certainties, slogans, and practices that disregard the rest of society only weaken movements and restrict their capacity for introspection and change. 

One of the ways in which we hope to broaden the support for these ideas is an international declaration to the Czech government, which could be signed by organisations and individuals from all over the world. The text is still being discussed, just like the details of the demonstration / action. We hope that tomorrow evening both things will be finalised. 

c) Suggestion to do solidarity actions around N17
We would welcome some actions taking place internationally in solidarity with the N17 action / demonstration in Prague. 

We know that many people are very busy now with other mobilisations (for instance the actions around the climate conference, which are really important). However, some people (for instance, a farmer movement from India) have asked when they should organise actions in solidarity with the Prague prisoners, and given the importance of that day in Czech history, we think that it would be an appropriate date for coordinated actions. BUT we don't want to distract attention from other actions. [You might also consider introducing the issue of criminalisation in general, and the concrete situation in Prague, into actions that you have already planned on or around that date.] 

We think that it would be good if there would be actions in more countries for several reasons. First, because this is a global problem: in all countries social movements are projected as potentially criminal, and legislation is becoming increasingly repressive and targeted against them. Also, because the mobilisation in Prague was truly international, as is the list of people facing charges for it. Finally, to show that people all over the world are concerned with this process of slow and subtle tightening of social control and show their active solidarity to Czech movements in their efforts to stop repressive legislation. 

Salud y suerte