Update! Zhenya Shimanskiy has now been released!
At the beginning of last month (April 2007) Zhenya Shimanskiy, a vegetarian anti-fascist and animal rights activist from Minsk was arrested for non payment of a $1400 fine imposed after he was found guilty of spray painting animal rights slogans. It is also alleged by the authorities that after the fine was imposed on him he bricked the windows of a McDonalds in Minsk.
Zhenya will face a court in early June for his non payment of his fine and for the alleged bricking of the McDonalds. His supporters have stated that he may face several years imprisonment for his alleged crimes unless money is raised to pay his fine.
We have been informed that in Belarus, prisons DO NOT feed their prisoners and Zhenya is in urgent need of money to buy his food just to survive in prison!
If you can help raise money for Zhenya please contact punker(at)375crew.org with 'Money for Shiman' in the subject line.
Besides money, letters of support are also urgently needed - apparently Belarussian authorities have decided that Zhenya is a dangerous extremist and visits are not allowed even for close relatives.
Send urgent letters of support to:
Evgeniy Dmitrievich Shimanskiy
Volodarskogo str. 2, room 35
220050 Minsk Belarus
Please Note: Zhenya only understands Belarussian and Russian, so in case you do not speak either of these, send photos, drawings, postcards and other nice stuff just to remind him he is not alone.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. We must remind Zhenya he is not alone and the international community has not forgotten him.
For solidarity without borders ! Abolish the prisons and cages of society!