The Russian regional Section of the International Workers’ Association, a worldwide association of anarcho-syndicalist trade unions, is strongly protesting against the arrest in Russia of the chairman of the “Kurier” trade union, Kirill Ukraintsev, accused of spreading a call for a protest. Kirill Ukraintsev was detained on February 9 and put on trial for issuing a call for a protest on January 11 against the trial of anarchist Azat Miftakhov, who was sentenced to 6 years in prison. The trade union activist was sentenced to 5 days of arrest (released on February 14). The “Kurier” trade union defends the rights of couriers (mostly migrant workers) and has tried twice last year to organize strikes against their harsh working conditions. Currently, he is involved in a labor conflict in the city of Adler, where the struggle is unfolding among the couriers of the YandexEDA delivery service for the reinstatement of 13 of their colleagues at work. The verdict on Ukraintsev was passed just before the planned strike in Adler. The arrest sentence of a trade unionist is nothing more than revenge and a desire to crush the beginnings of an independent trade union movement in Russia. Such intimidation cannot be described otherwise than as class terror from above. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Ukraintsev, an apology to him and an end to any persecution of worker and trade union activism in Russia! Section of I.W.A. in Russia 12 February 2021
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