photos were taken by a supporter in the square yesterday afternoon when the police came to take alex's displays, leaving just the ducks that he used to feed (first pic obviously taken before yesterday).

small correction to original article. although alex was supposed to be deported last night, the reason why that didn't happen is not known - instead he was sent to colnbrook. the solicitor from freeman's simply filled in various forms with alex and the deportation has not been officially stopped yet. any action may actually be too late.

"alex has been at the corner of parliament square, next to brian haw's display, for several years, "


how many years has alex been there?

I understand that Alex has been living at Parliament Square since March 2003. He first started off opposite the House of Commons, but was moved to the square, then camped outside Downing Street for two months, but again was moved back to the square. The lawyer we found for him came out after hours and very patiently waited whilst it was negotiated that Alex would see him together with an interpreter/supporter. It's not just simply a matter of filling in forms, the case is difficult because Alex has been through the system once and it needs to be established precisely what has happened in the past which means getting hold of the past papers and only after he has been at Colnbrook for a week can application for bail be made. So far we're pleased with Freemans who took on the matter at half-hour's notice before their offices closed (5pm, 13th June) because other firms were either too busy (genuinely I'm sure), could not act at such short notice (several hours or less), or were worried about the political implications/ did not understand Alex's attitude to his experiences in this country (the immigration specialist found by those lawyers acting for him in relation to the 'criminal' matter of breaching the SOCPA conditions. This immigration firm only dealt with Alex via a Russian interpreter for five minutes before deciding that they didn't want to take it on; they didn't bother to communicate this decision in good time either). The general attitude in the past, we understand, is "what is wrong with Israel? Why not go back there". For a political refugee from that country, this must have been pretty rotten meat to chew. I myself met this when hunting for a lawyer for him to handle the 'criminal' SOCPA issue. We're worried about him at Colnbrook as he started another hunger strike at the Charing Cross Road police station, and he really needs to be mentally alert and resilient to properly deal with the stress of suddenly and very rudely being moved to the environment of a prison. Any suggestions gratefully received.

One idea I haven't seen expressed on Indymedia UK is - maybe Brian's Law (SOCPA) is actually Alex's Law??

"Any suggestions gratefully received."
I am just brainstorming really because I have no knowledge of the legal issues or deportation...
Investigate or request the authorities investigate what has happened in any other cases in Israel with the same kind of accusations made against Alex and whether it would go against human rights on that basis.
One idea I had a couple of weeks ago is that a GP should be assigned to both Brian and Alex while they are in Parliament Square to look after their health. Maybe speak to a local councillor for the Westminster area. The position for Alex is obviously different now.
Ask for an assessment of Alex's mental health and whether he would cope with the stress of being moved to Israel and whether that would affect the ability of the authorities to deport him??
On the issue of any hunger strikes those people should consider whether they may be more useful to the world by staying alive (and healthy) to help campaign against the current wars and the kind of injustice helped along by the bare-faced lies from the authories such as described above.

It is very disappointing to hear that Alex has been whisked away by the immigration police. I have known him for the last three years and, although he has not always been easy to talk to, he was someone that I came to like and be interested in and now there is no trace of him at the Square it is almost as if he never existed. This, I am sure, is how the powers that be would wish it. I, for one, am not prepared to let it rest at that.

Congratulations to Indymedia for putting up so much info so quickly, including the rather poignant photo of the two ducks on Alex's patch.

I think it's important to put what's happened to Alex into some sort of context. The most astounding aspect of his sudden removal is that he lost his case to remain in this country two years ago, but had been left to rot for the last two years. The British wanted rid of Alex but for some reason had not been prepared to deport him back to Israel (squeamishness on their part?) Why is it only now that the authorities have decided to take such swift and callous action? I think that it is partly to do with the new SOCPA law, which obviously gave them an opportunity for harassing Alex. I would couple this with the recent visit to Britain of the new Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. I suspect that the opportunity to raise the issue afforded by this visit was seen as too good to be missed. Discussions were probably held not at prime ministerial level but at a more junior diplomatic level. I am sure that Olmert will not have been happy that a long running anti-Zionist demonstration was going on outside the British parliament and so will probably have been open to any suggestion that might lead to its removal. Perhaps Blair got some kind of assurance from Olmert about the future treatment of Alex which made it easier to countenance sending him back to Israel (something along the lines of the "memorandums of understanding" that he seems to be so keen on?)

I really hope that the efforts to stop Alex being deported bear fruit. I would like to propose that a group be set up to campaign on his behalf. Can he be visited at Colnbrook?

If he is deported we should all go to the Israeli embassy and make it clear that there are people who are concerned about Alex and who will not just let him disappear into the Israeli prison system.

Questions should also be asked in Parliament. For example, why was he allowed to rot on the Square for two years and why his sudden removal now? Was a deal reached with the Israelis?

From my conversations with Alex, his most fervent wish is to join a self-sufficient religious community, where he can live a wholesome life free from the interference of ANY state.

Another worrying aspect of all this is the impact it will have on Brian. They are slowly but surely closing in on him. I am sure Blair is dreaming of the day when Brian and his "unsightly" pictures of war damaged infants are removed so he can once again sweep through the gates of Parliament without being forced to dwell, if only for a fleeting moment, on his part in the deaths of so many innocent men, women and children.

We've been trying to contact Alex at Colnbrook, but the extension we have (x.678) appears not to be his and it seems the luck of the draw if you get through to the operator. As of the time of this info piece, two of us have still not got through to him.
There are three categories under which someone is booked in at Colnbrook - Arrest, Short term, and Long term. A reliable source told me that Alex arrived there under 'arrest' and up to last night had not been transferred anywhere else. He was committed to Colnbrook, I understand, under the name of: ABDALIA AZELDIN TSIORULIN. The 'abdalia' should be 'abdallah', but police documents never seemed to get it right (some of them have his surname put down as 'abdallah').
The phone at Colnbrook occasionally seems switched onto a rather strange answerphone, as if it was recorded in a very public place, and the switchboard operator, when you get her/him, appears keen to deter anyone going through to someone on remand. The numbers are 020 8607 5250 and 020 8607 5272.
Regarding his other problems -- he was after all up at Bow Street on the 13th June to confirm his plea of 'not guilty', with the hearing adjourned to September due to, I believe, the lack of a Russian interpreter at the court that day -- the solicitors acting for him in the so-called 'criminal' matter don't know where he is as of yesterday -- as far as they were concerned it was now out of their hands. Some hands!!! I have a letter to deliver to him and so shall try to go down tomorrow. Sites for information about Colnbrook plus directions are www.serco.com (what a wonderful place it is) &  http://www.barbedwirebritain.org.uk/colnbrook.shtml (what a horrible place it is).
The ducks were regular visitors to Alex from ?St.James Park, always at the same time, each day, except during ?duckling season, he told me. Alex fed them bread, which he kept aside for them. They seemed unhappy about receiving bread from myself and made agitated clacking noises as they looked and wandered forlornly about his absent site.

Further to attempts to find out where he is, Alex is in the Delta Unit, ground floor, Colnbrook.

Alex as of 23rd June, 2006, is in the Health & Care Section of Colnbrook.

Attempts to see Alex Tsiorulin at Colnbrook, today, Sunday 25th June, 2006, were blocked by the security on the basis that two of the people concerned had unacceptable I.D. (Neither person had a current passport). One was a press pass and the other a work I.D. Both I.Ds had photographs of their holders. The third person, with a non-British passport, who initially came for interpretation purposes, was allowed to see him. The press pass, with photograph, was disallowed on the basis that no press can have access to inmates of Colnbrook without written permission, even though the visit was for friendly purposes. Alex appeared to be in good health, although weak. The purpose of the visit was to ascertain what Alex wanted to happen in his life and therefore brief any campaign accordingly. Some headway was made, but due to the security block, this was not as complete as the urgent situation requires.

Individuals at Risk
 iar@amnesty.org.uk
Main London Office
 sct@amnesty.org.uk

Alex Tsiorulin as of Sunday 2nd July was in Wing B, ground floor, of Colnbrook. As of last week he had stopped his hunger strike. Progress is being made on his case due to the support of a few very kind people who are willing to make sacrifices and risk themselves for him. Alex does not always appreciate efforts made on his behalf, even when this is towards what he has hoped for. He has in the past & recently repudiated both de bono legal and good will help. But we hope that eventually some kind of trust will be established between him and those who seek, without condescension, to make his life a happier one and that he will understand such help to be not linked to a more sinister network.

Alex was removed to Heathrow from Colnbrook on the morning of Tuesday 18th July. We understand the destination was Israel. His bail hearing was set for Monday 24th July and so the deportation took everyone by surprise. Given the situation in Israel and what must be a highly charged situation, specially with respect to declared anti-Zionists, this was a particularly malicious act. But have we come to expect anything better of this present regime? The British Labour Party's lengthy relationship with the Zionist cause (back to the 20th century's beginnings) took Alex -- a Jewish convert to Islam -- aback when he first learnt this. For someone who assumed that the 'socialism' in Labour would naturally make that party sympathetic to his quest for asylum, Labour officialdom has only had bitter pills to offer him. The West could have done something better for an individual who originally emerged from jobs-worth obscurity when he demonstrated as a communist official and army officer against the Russian invasion into Afghanistan.