The following report was sent to us by friends from Switzerland and we will gladly publish it:
In Basel, Switzerland, the repression by the old state intensifies more and more. The two most important examples in this matter are the persecution of Basel 18 and the sentencing of 15 of them, and the wave of repression against anti-fascists now concretizing itself, about which we reported before the beginning of the first trial and will certainly continue to report.
Basel 18
June 24th 2016. A small but combative demonstration moves through the streets of Basel's city centre. It is directed against racism, repression and gentrification and targets a number of related buildings, including the Basel office of the Swiss People's Party.
The state attorneys office (Stawa) files charges against 18 people. It constructs complicity and holds all the accused responsible for all the actions carried out at the demonstration. In its campaign against the accused, the Prosecutor's calls them “Office Saubannerzug" (a Swiss military campaign from the 15th century, which is now often used to characterize riots) and the demonstrators as chaotics, as usual. The very modest evidence of the Stawa can at most prove that people were at the demonstration (and even that is questionable) but nobody can be proven to have committed a crime at the demonstration. A mass show trial is unfolded by the reaction and ends on the 01/25/19 with a verdict pronouncement. The Basel anti-repression group writes: "Today, Friday the 25th of January 2019, 15 of the 18 accused in the "Basel18" trial were found guilty in complicity in qualified property damage, simple bodily injury, breach of the peace, multiple violence and threats against authorities and officials and violation of traffic rules. The absurd sentences ranged from a conditional 20 months with the possibility of 2 years, up to 27 months unconditionally. The three judges of the Basel City Criminal Court thus largely complied with the prosecution's demands. In addition, some persons were fined 200 Swiss francs for violation of anti-mask laws and individual fines - between 5 and 10 daily rates - for insulting, violation of the weapons law, trespassing or obstruction of an official act"
Basel Nazifrei
November 24th 2018. On the streets of Basel, masses and the revolutionary movement fight shoulder to shoulder against fascists and the Basel police.
This struggle comes with a price, and in the following months a repression campaign is developed by the state attorneys office, the Basel police and the Basel state security, Division 9, and 60 anti-fascists are to be brought to court, the first one on July 7th. In solidarity with all the accused, a demonstration is organized in front of the public prosecutor's office on Saturday 4 July. 200 people take part in the demonstration on 4th in solidarity. A part of the demonstration is encircled and despite the struggle against it, 70 people are controlled through means of police violence and one of the controlled people will have their arm broken.
July 7th 2020. The first defendant is tried and convicted. He is sentenced to 7 months imprisonment and a fine of 800 francs. This is because he took part in the demonstration, because he did not leave when people started to fight the reaction.
What is the biggest crime of Basel 15 and Basel Nazifrei 60 in the eyes of the bourgeoisie? Rebellion. One of the main principles of Marxism is "it's right to rebel! They cannot crush the rebellion and the struggle against their rotten system, but this does not stop them from trying. All this is pursued by class justice with the motto "(...) nothing against the state", and the ever-increasing repression in Basel is driving the reactionarization of the old state forward. The Basel reaction sets national precedents in terror and repression against and the legal persecution of fighting masses and the revolutionary movement, especially with the automatic complicity in the Basel 18 trials. Solidarity with all political prisoners who are in the dark dungeons of Swiss imperialism!
