An international action in support of anti-fascist political prisoners in Ukraine took place on 11 September, bringing together hundreds of people in protest against inhumane prison conditions and torture under the fascist Zelensky regime. 408 people took part in the solidarity hunger strike, street protests were held in eight countries, and dozens of comrades supported the action by sending photographs and videos.
This was the second international solidarity action in support of the resistance of Ukrainian political prisoners. The first took place on 5 August this year. Both actions were organised jointly by the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Political Prisoners and Human Rights and the Anti-Imperialist Front.
The call for a one-day hunger strike on 11 September was answered by 408 people from 18 countries, becoming the voice of political prisoners in Vinnytsia Colony No. 86 and other prisons in Ukraine, where anti-fascist prisoners are subjected to torture, humiliation and inhumane conditions of detention.
Dozens of people sent photographs holding posters condemning torture and deaths in Vinnytsia Colony No. 86 and demanding freedom for Alexander Melnyk, who, as one of the leaders of the resistance inside the colony, has been held in a punishment cell and solitary confinement for more than two months.
Among those taking part in the hunger strike were 58 prisoners held in Ukrainian prisons and pre-trial detention centres:
Lukyanivske Pre-Trial Detention Centre – 29
Pyatykhatky Correctional Colony No. 122 – 13
Mykolaiv Pre-Trial Detention Centre – 9
Lviv Pre-Trial Detention Centre – 5
Vinnytsia Colony No. 86 – 2
Two comrades, from Britain and Turkey, carried out three-day hunger strikes in solidarity with Ukrainian anti-fascist political prisoners.
HUNGER STRIKE PARTICIPATION BY COUNTRY
Ukraine – 113
Greece – 112
Turkey – 47
Germany – 32
Austria – 21
Switzerland – 17
Belarus – 12
Belgium – 12
United Kingdom – 10
Russia – 8
Sweden – 7
Argentina – 5
France – 4
Qatar – 2
Netherlands – 2
Norway – 2
Denmark – 1
Saudi Arabia – 1
At the call of the Anti-Imperialist Front and the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Political Prisoners and Human Rights, pickets were organised across Europe and the United States outside embassies and consulates representing the fascist Kyiv regime, alongside other street actions in solidarity with Ukrainian political prisoners.
The actions were organised by local sections of the Anti-Imperialist Front, the People’s Front (Turkey), the Anti-NATO Assembly (Catalonia), the Union for Communist Reconstruction (France), the political organisation Nación Andaluza (Andalusia), the Anti-Imperialist Movements of Madrid, the 23 September Movement (Bulgaria), International Anti-Fascist Solidarity with Ukraine (UK), the Communist Party USA, the German Communist Party, and the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist).
Pickets outside Ukrainian embassies and consulates took place in Barcelona, Paris, Athens, Malaga, Sofia, London and New York. Participants carried posters bearing photographs of political prisoners Alexander Melnyk and the Kononovich brothers, together with slogans including:
“NO TO TORTURE AND KILLINGS IN VINNYTSIA COLONY NO. 86!”
“NO TO THE KILLING OF ALEXANDER MELNYK!”
“FREEDOM FOR ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!”
“COLONEL PETRIK IS A FASCIST!”
Statements documenting the torture of political prisoners in Ukraine and demanding justice were handed to Ukrainian diplomatic missions.
In Madrid, a street action was held outside the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding an end to the supply of weapons and state financing for the fascist Ukrainian government, as well as an end to the torture of anti-fascist political prisoners in Ukraine.
In Bonn, an action in solidarity with Ukrainian political prisoners was held alongside an information stand organised by comrades from the German Communist Party.
In Amsterdam, an information stand was set up in Mercatorplein, an area with a large immigrant and working-class population. The stand highlighted the situation of political prisoners in Ukraine, Turkey and Palestine.
During the street actions, leaflets were distributed to passers-by to counter imperialist disinformation about the situation in Ukraine.
In Kyiv, on 11 September, the Kononovich brothers submitted statements concerning torture and the inhumane treatment of political prisoners in Vinnytsia Colony No. 86 to the US Embassy and the European Union representation.
In Rotterdam, the Anti-Imperialist Front put up leaflets about the upcoming September 11 action near shelters for Ukrainian refugees.
On the eve of the international action, Grup Yorum member İhsan Cibelik called on supporters to record videos featuring songs and poetry in solidarity with Ukrainian political prisoners. In addition to İhsan Cibelik, videos were sent by comrades from Germany, Russia, Turkey and Ireland.
One of the leaders of the Association for the Defence of the Rights of Political Prisoners and Human Rights, Mikhail Kononovich, summed up the action:
“More and more prisoners and people persecuted by the regime in Ukraine understand that struggle is the only way.
Many prisoners admitted to crimes they had not committed and accepted sentences of 10–15 years under strict prison conditions in the hope that they would soon be exchanged [in prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine — Ed.]. But this never happened.
The Association for the Defence of the Rights of Political Prisoners and Human Rights, created by the communists of Ukraine, is showing Ukrainians through its own example what struggle means, while drawing in the international communist and anti-fascist movement. We are not alone! And we know how to fight!
More and more communists and anti-fascists, seeing our struggle, are gaining a ray of hope. There is a growing understanding that, despite the withdrawal of the leadership of the Communist Party of Ukraine, there are still people who have not abandoned the revolutionary red banner of communism and who continue the struggle.
The struggle of political prisoners, led by the communists of Ukraine, is only at the beginning of its path; our movement is only beginning to gather momentum. Our first task is to save our comrades — communists, anti-fascists and other political prisoners who have found themselves in a desperate and deadly situation. Many of them may never leave prison and may die there. But if one is destined to die, it is better to die in struggle than to live as a beast of burden.
This time, in Vinnytsia Correctional Colony No. 86, most of those who participated in the 5 August hunger strike did not take part on 11 September because of the repression they faced. The most severe repression has begun.
In this regard, I want to address all political prisoners in Ukraine and the current government: the stronger the repression, the fiercer the resistance! We will win!
In Ukraine, twice as many people supported our 11 September action as on 5 August. Unfortunately, many could do so only privately rather than publicly. People in despair are ashamed of their weakness and cannot overcome it. Our task is to help political prisoners regain their dignity. Fear has paralysed many political prisoners and deprived them of the will to fight for the truth. We must change this.
People must fight for their rights and for the truth. No one will help them if they do not begin to fight themselves.
The Association for the Defence of the Rights of Political Prisoners and Human Rights is the only organisation in Ukraine that defends the rights of political prisoners.
We call on all political prisoners in Ukraine to join our organisation and our struggle!”
The resistance of Ukrainian anti-fascist political prisoners has grown significantly over the past few months and is receiving support from dozens of organisations in countries around the world. It once again demonstrates that resistance is the path to securing justice for political prisoners and for all those oppressed and persecuted by imperialism and fascism.
International actions in support of the struggle of Ukrainian political prisoners will continue.
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