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Support the imprisoned activists & hunger strikers in Austria

AR Prisoner Support | 29.05.2008 18:43 | Animal Liberation | Ecology | Repression | London | World

PRESS RELEASE: 14 persons charged, 10 arrested, 5 on hunger strike.
Dated: Thursday 29th May 2008

On May 21st special forces of the Austrian police forced entry to 23 homes of animal right activists across Austria. 14 persons were charged with suspected forming of a criminal organisation (§278a of the Austrian penal code) in connection with direct animal right actions. Ten persons were arrested and are in prison as suspects. At first nine were sent to the Vienna Neustadt prison and one to Innsbruck who has been brought to Vienna Neustadt on 28.05. Five prisoners are in hungerstrike at the moment, at least one since the 21.05. (date today: 29.05.). The organisation die tierbefreier e.V. is also affected by this wave of repression.

The way searching was done is indescribable. The homes and apartments were entered with pulled weapons; doors were smashed, despite tenants inside, sleeping. A complete chaos was left, PCs, files and other papers confiscated. No evidence of any criminal offence could be proved against the 14 persons; they were arrested purely on suspicion. Apparently only being engaged in animal right activities for some years was enough reason to arrest them.

Since the files handed to the lawyers could not prove any criminal offence, application for immediate release was filed. Imposing remand under these circumstances is absolutely against human rights.

VEGAN DIET

The vegan diet of the prisoners in Vienna Neustadt was totally insufficient at first. To provide vegan prisoners with animal exploitation products is not only a deep insult; it is far from their liability to take proper care. After intervention it has since improved. However on 28.05. four prisoners were brought to the prison in Wien Josefstadt and two were brought to Eisenstadt. It is not clear yet how the vegan catering is handled there.

Send mails and letters concerning the vegan issue to the prisons in Wiener Neustadt, Wien Josefstadt and Eisenstadt. Anyone living vegan for deep moral and ethical reasons has the right to receive vegan products!!

ADDRESSES:

Justizanstalt Wiener Neustadt
Maximiliangasse 3
2700 Wiener Neustadt
Austria

Justizanstalt Wien Josefstadt
Wickenburggasse 18 - 22
1080 Wien
Austria

Justizanstalt Eisenstadt
Wienerstraße 9
7001 Eisenstadt
Austria

SUPPORT DEMOS

We can and will not accept this suspected unlawful and unreasonable way, the searchings and the arrests were handled. Arrange support demos in front of Austrian consulates and embassies.

Just as important: Engage in animal rights activities! Some of the persons arrested have been engaged in animal rights for years, this fully aware. It is not only important to protest against the repression and the arrests, also protest against the daily exploitation und misuse of animals.

Mail! Write letters to morally support them. Letters help!
Do not write anything that could be used against them sooner or later. Please address letters as follows:
First name, Name
Date of birth:
Address of prison

Anyone not knowing above details, like date of birth, send the letters to:
Antirep 2008
Postfach 101
A - 1070 Wien.

And only mention the name or first name, the letters will then be readdressed. Without a name the letter will be copied and will be sent to all prisoners if that is possible.

LEGAL AID:

Tremendous costs will arise for lawyers. Any penny you can spare is welcome. A special account was set up in Austria for this cause, transparency guaranteed.

Account Austria:
Holder: Grünalternative Jugend Wien
Acc.No: 01920013682
Bank-Code: 14000
Bank: BAWAG
Use: Antirep 2008
IBAN: AT551400001920013682
Bic: BAWAATWW

MORE INFO:

Backgroundinfos, up-to-date news and demo dates, see:
 http://www.antirep2008.tk /  http://tierbefreier.de/soli-oesterreich

Source:
 http://www.tierbefreier.de/soli-oesterreich/support.html

PREVIOUS ARTICLES:

Update on Austrian activists in prison/background - antirep & ELP
 https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399702.html (28th)

EVANA press release: Austrian activists in prison
 https://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399592.html (26th)

Solidarity for imprisoned anti-fur activists in Austria
 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399502.html (24th)

Press release: Wave of Repression against Activists in Austria
 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399441.html (23rd)

Dawn raids against anti-fur activists in Austria (21st)
 https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399334.html

AR Prisoner Support

Additions

4th of june: Global solidarity action day!

29.05.2008 19:16

The wave of repression which took place last week in Austria was a shock for everybody. Anger, fear and consternation is what most of us might feel.

The arbitrary behaviour of the austrian police, the criminalization of people dedicated to animal liberation and the imprisonment of them screams out for action! We must show the responsible people and those connected with them our solidary resistance.

What happened in Austria is not only a problem of austrian people and also not only of animal liberation activists! It is an alarming strike against inconvenient opponents, which last week affected austrian animal rights activists and could affect any left person in any country soon!

Our response has to be a global solidarity throughout the left! That is why we call out for a global day of action on june 4th, dedicated to the austrian prisoners. Do anything to show your support and solidarity.

Send e-mails to austrian embassies, phone the embassies and tell them how you feel about the repression wave in austria, do demos in front of the embassies, organize events to collect money for the legal support of the activists... support the anti fur campaign against "Kleider Bauer", which seems to be the main reason for the disproportional state repression and which must carry on!

Please use your energy and creativity on the 4th of june to show your solidarity with the austrian animal liberation prisoners!

Tierversuche abschaffen
- Homepage: http://harlan-schliessen.de/tierversuche-abschaffen/


Comments

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  1. animal rights / democracy — kim powers

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