Another artist arrested... this time in Russia

source: http://free.kissmybabushka.com/
Russian contemporary artist detained by Novosibirsk police
Friday, May 22, 2009
By admin

Contemporary Russian artist, cameraman, antifascist, political and cultural activist Artem Loskutov (22 years) was arrested on May 15 by security forces in Novosibirsk, and is now being held at a police station awaiting trial.
He has been charged with drug possession and “organizing a criminal group for mass disturbances, vandalism of shops and offices, arson and the defacement of private property”.

In the morning of May 15, one of the heads of Novosibirsk’s anti-extremist militia task force phoned Loskutov and invited to stop by for a conversation. Artem declined this invitation because he was busy with preparations for his diploma project at the university, and asked for an official notice to be called in for questioning. The police officer answered that Artem was being impudent and said, “I will send a car with a dog to find you. We will drive to your workplace.” But they did not.

In the evening of the same day, Artem was surrounded by three plainclothesmen and handcuffed. They told him that he was being charged with a criminal act, but did not tell him which one, nor did they show any official documents or police badges. After that, they drove into the nearest courtyard and ransacked Artems bag. Here, they
“found” a package with a green substance and took Artem to the local militia. According to Artem’s lawyer Valentin Demidenko, Artem maintains that he was not in possession of any illegal substances and the case is being fabricated. In addition to the drug charge, Artem is being charged with political extremism and conspiracy to create public unrest.

Artem Loskoutov is well known in Novosibirsk as one of the leaders of the underground art-scene. Since 2004, he has developed a number of performances, known to international artistic community. He is also the founder and leader of the contemporary art group “Babyshka posle pokhoron” (www.kissmybabushka.com) and has made several films. To a broader public, Artem is primarily known as leader of Monstration, a street performance unique to the Russian situation. This week, he is
to defend his diploma thesis at university, but will not be to do it, as he is still being detained. He has never been implicated or involved in any “extremist” actions, although his art practice could be considered subversive. In the history of the Novosibirsk art scene, this case is completely unprecedented.

Lubov Belyatskaya, who witnessed Artem’ capture, is coordinating efforts to help him. Her phone: (007) 913-370-78-60

A new updated portrait of Anatol Mătăsaru

A video-clip done by Nae Caa

The song "Hey, Hey, Policeman" belongs to the Moldovan singer Anatol Dumitraş.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRAHDwXUHR0

Nae sent me this link via email.

Thank you!

A postcard to Anatol, sent to the prison where he is deteined.

Today, after over 20 days of hunger strike Anatol Mătăsaru might end it

On May 15th, the court declined the appeal submitted on behalf of Mr. Mătăsaru to change his imprisonment to home arrest. Previously, on May 8th, the court had decided on the prolongation of Mr. Mătăsaru detention period to yet another 30 days.
According to his lawyer, the judge based his decision on an almost identical prosecutor's argumentation as on April 21st.
Julia Saviţchi, Mr. Mătăsaru's wife, in a reportage broadcast on www.jurnal.md announced that she was expecting such a sentence; that her husband wouldn't be freed and neither would the other political prisoners without an order from above. She also announced that she is pregnant!;) Congratualtions!
In court she tried to convince Anatol to stop his strike, and promised to bring him some food to the prison. However, (according to www.garda.com.md) later today, when she wanted to pass it to him, she was told that her husband could not receive anything before he signed a declaration that he ended his strike.
She also said that she finally received the wedding band that had been confiscated by the police during Anatol's arrest. The information about the ring's disappearance was mentioned a few times in the Moldova's mass-media but I didn't think it was so important. I thought that the belongings of the arrested people were kept at the police quarters and only given back upon their release. However, it seems that at least some Moldovan police officers have a habit of not returning the belongings of the released people. There have been cases of jewelry, wallets, money, bank cards, cell phones mysteriously 'disappearing' from the police quarters. So, in a way, getting Anatol's wedding band back is a victory.

see here the reportage in Romanian language:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHU8SQc8Zc8&feature=channel_page

p.s. The portrait I drew when I launched this blog now seems to be the portrait of another man... I must try to do another updated portrait...

p.p.s. I found the picture I post below on the web page of www.jurnal.md. It was done in February 2009 (it seems that it is also the work of Oleg Brega) during the trial when the case against Mătăsaru was dismissed by the judge because of lack of crime evidence.
You can see in this picture how different he looked then (double click to enlarge it). Also, notice the interesting detail on his finger - the ring that I was talking about above...

Andrei Panait, London

Dear Teodor,
I am a follower of Anatol Matasaru's struggle with the corrupt Moldovan (donkey) police and (pig) prosecutor's office, and believe him to be an inspiration and example for people all over the world fighting against lies, lack of transparency and basic injustice propagated by these institutions, which should in fact be fully accountable and servants to the public and to their country's citizens, not only in Moldova but everywhere.
Please post my small artistic contribution on your website, attached herein. It was inspired by the B. Obama electoral poster, among other things - not that I am a big fan of Obama, but you have to admit it was a good poster. Also, the poster is transformed into a postage stamp (personal note: I didn't follow any formal method when using gimp to do this, but used black brush strokes on the edges to make the stamp "teeth" - hopefully it should look fine against the black background of your blog!).
Teodor, a big Thank-You for your campaign!

MORE POWER TO YOU ANATOL! FREE ANATOL MATASARU! FREE GABRIEL STATI, SERGIU MOCANU, FATHER JOHNATTAN JERUSALAYEM NETANYAHU, AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE MOLDOVAN TERRORIST STATE! The Bujenitsa regime is not long to fall.

HASTA LA VICTORIA SIEMPRE!

Andrei Panait,
London

18th day of hunger strike

Anatol Mătăsaru is still in a hunger strike.
According to his wife, Julieta Saviţchi, Anatol is in a special cell for prisoners in hunger strike. There are 2 other prisoners in the same cell with him, they are also striking.
"A good think, if we can say so, is that they don't beat him anymore. At the same time, for already a couple of weeks, nobody is interrogating him." - said Julieta Saviţchi to a reporter of www.garda.com.md

On the May 8th For JNP

The Moldovan Court decided the prolongation of the detention period for Anatol Mătăsaru for another 30 days.


For JNP




On the 8th of

MEPs condemn grave violations of human rights following parliamentary elections

MEPs call for a special investigation to be conducted into the cases of those who died during the events following the elections as well as into all allegations of rape and ill-treatment during detention and politically-motivated arrests, such as those of Anatol Matasaru and Gabriel Stati. They urge the authorities to immediately cease all illegal arrests.

source:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/030-55247-124-05-19-903-20090506IPR55246-04-05-2009-2009-false/default_en.htm

The beauty of pain

In a broadcast of the internet TV station www.JurnalTV.md a young girl, Irina Chirica, declared that she is also on a hunger strike in solidarity with Anatol Mătăsaru. She started her strike the next day (April, 29th), following the official news that Mătăsaru had begun his hunger strike. She intends to continue her strike until May, 8th, the day when Anatol Mătăsaru's retrial is being scheduled.
Irina says, she is feeling all right.
She also mentions the petition addressed to the Moldovan officials, in which people request the liberation and access to medical care for Anatol Mătăsaru; as well as legality and transparency regarding his case and the cases of other persons, arrested during the post electoral protests.
Irina talks about this blog too, as well as the previous post, in which I announced that 2 important Polish art institutions invited Anatol Mătăsaru to have lectures about the works he had done in Moldova.

you can see the video (it is in Romanian language) here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9K4h6aE8q0&feature=channel_page

For the last couple of weeks, as I am following the events that bud around Anatol Mătăsaru, i cannot help myself thinking that what I am witnessing is being moulded into an incredibly beautiful and yet an extremely painful assemblage of art...

See also the copies of the doctor's reports filled in during Anatol's physical examination on April, 18th. Afterwords the doctors recommended an immediate hospitalization of the patient. However, the officers who brought Mătăsaru in did not allow it. Here is one of the dozens of scans published online here: http://www.curaj.net/?p=16369
















According to Mătăsaru's lawyer, his client's condition is still stable.

Mătăsaru to talk in Poland about his art works

On the April, 20, the editor of a polish art magazine "Obieg" Grzegorz Borkowski and myself initiated a solidarity appeal with the artist Anatol Mătăsaru directed to cultural institutions that deal with fine arts. (Anatol Mătăsaru is currently detained as a prisoner of conscience by the Moldovan authorities.) The appeal is still on. Feel free to join it. Here you have an English translation of the original polish text published on the Obieg magazine's web site www.obieg.pl:

APPEAL

We suggest that the form of solidarity for Anatol Mătăsaru should take the following form: Art galleries and/or Educational institutions from Poland (or other countries) would invite him to have talks about his artistic works he did in Moldova. It is very possible that Mătăsaru won't get a valid passport to travel to Poland, however, these invitations will constitute a clear sign to the local authorities, that the artist's works and current situation is well known beyond the borders of Moldova.
The letters should be send from the name of a precise institution and addressed to:

Anatol Mătăsaru
2028, Republic of Moldova,
Chişinău, şos.Hancesti, 64 bl.B ap.20

Yesterday, I was notified that already two important Polish art institutions sent letters to Anatol Mătăsaru in which he is being invited to talk about his works. (See the scanned images bellow.)

The first letter (in English) was sent from the Center for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle (http://csw.art.pl/):


















The second invitation was sent from Galeria Działań . The text of the letter is in Polish and in Romanian languages(http://www.galeriadzialan.hg.pl/):