RUSSIA: Trade unionist bashed
The following urgent appeal was issued by Konstantin Prasolov, from the independent Russian trade union Zaschita.
The authorities in Bashkiria, Bashkortostan Republic, Russia, have again used brute force against opposition. This time their victim was one of the leading activists of the workers and communist movement, co-chairperson of the executive committee of the trade union Defence-Workers Resistance of Bashkortostan and a deputy in the district council of Ufa, Aleksei Rybalko.
On April 5, Rybalko was attacked, without warning or explanation, in the street by people in police uniforms and in plain clothes. He was pushed into a car, where he was beaten. As a result of the blows, he temporarily lost vision and orientation.
In the car, three thugs methodically beat their victim until he lost consciousness and then threw him out of the car in front of an apartment building. There he was very quickly "found again" by a police patrol.
Even though his eyes were swollen, and his right hand was broken, the police only agreed to transport him to hospital after he referred to his status as a deputy. Physicians at Hospital #22 refused to provide first aid and sent him home in the police car.
When Rybalko's wife refused to receive him in such a condition, he was taken again to the same hospital where the medical aid and X-rays were at last provided. However, the physicians refused to give Rybalko the medical evidence of his injuries or the X-ray pictures.
I am sure that the investigation of this case will be sabotaged by the authorities. If we allow the perpetrators of this crime to go unpunished cases like this will become the norm.
I ask you to send letters of protest to following addresses: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republic Bashkortostan, 450025, Ufa, Lenin Str.7;
Cabinet of Ministers of Republic Bashkortostan, 450101, Ufa, Tukayeva St.46 (email <webmaster@kmrb.bashnet.ru>);
Office of Public Prosecutor of Republic Bashkortostan, 450000, Ufa, Krupskaya Str.19;
Bashkortostan US trade mission, 2740 Coulter Lane, Gillette, Wyoming, USA 82716. Phone (307) 682-4600. Fax: (307) 687-2000.
Please, send copies of your protests to <zashit@diaspro.com>, <kmg@komsa.kirov.ru> and <ISWoR@aol.com>.
[From International Solidarity with Workers in Russia — ISWoR. <http://members.aol.com/ISWoR/english/index.html>.]