Two activists from Russia had a hearing on Monday (10 July). Still there is no information about the sentence, as there is no contact with them.Two anarchists were stopped and checked by the cops after purchasing gas masks at a market in St Petersburg. Cops found flyers against the G8 they were carrying with them. Today there was a hearing and they were sentenced to ten days of detention because of "endangering public order and safety", despite the fact that purchasing gas masks is no crime in Russia. In the meantime it has turned out that this charge is also known as 'hooliganism'. Several fascists who murdered immigrants were sentenced to two or three years of detention under the same charge.Two activists from Germany were arrested on the way to their accommodation, as well as an activist from Siberia. The two were waiting at the door waiting for it to be opened when the cops where checking their passports. The activist from Siberia just opened the door, witnessing their detainment. He walked over in his underwear to ask for the reason. Although the two were carrying their passports, all three of them were taken to the police station. Despite cops only being allowed to detain persons for three hours to check their identities, all three were kept at the police station until Monday afternoon without seeing a judge. On Monday evening their trial was held, with members of the legal team and officials from the German consulate observing. They were charged with 'urination in a front garden'. Due to lack of evidence the hearing was postponed until this morning. Today the two activists from Germany were sentenced to ten days detention. The third activist's hearing is taking place right now.While the three activists are in jail, their flat was searched and three more persons were arrested in connection to that flat. Meanwhile, the activist who was arrested only wearing underwear - even in jail he did not get more clothes than that - was taken to hospital due to circulation problems. His condition is getting better considering the circumstances.Furthermore an activist travelling around the city reported that almost all trains to the city are being checked by the cops.One person was stopped leaving the train to St Petersburg. He was searched but set free afterwards. The cops warned him that he should do nothing, as they would watch him and something could happen to him otherwise.Furthermore the flat used by the Legal Team in Moscow was searched in the morning. The flat is used by Human Rights Youth and Green Alternative Organisation as a bureau. At the time of the raid one person was at the flat. He was taken to the police station and his notebook confiscated. At the station he was especially questioned about three other activists who did the legal team workshop at the libertarian forum a few days ago. The cops gained access to the flat introducing themselves as neighbours and claiming that the flat below was flooded with water. When the door was opened it turned out that they were members of the FSB (Russian intelligence service).Also on Monday morning, two Russian activists were arrested for no reason, only that they 'looked like activists'. Both were sentenced to ten days detention because of 'disturbing public order'.In Samara, Monday morning started with searches of seven activists' flats. Several computers and papers were confiscated. These seven activists all were connected to an anti-militarism action that took place on 23 February in Samara. The cops also issued summonses for questioning dated 14 July. This is also to be seen in connection with the g8 Summit, for it prevents them from taking part in the protests.six activists on their way from Omsk to St Petersburg were taken out of the train in Jekaterinburg. They were accused of carrying 'dangerous objects' in their luggage. When they denied the charge, they were taken to the police station. In a short period of phone contact they said that they suspected that the cops would plant things in their luggage. Around midnight contact to them was lost - it has still not been remade.Meanwhile the legal team is aware of more than 100 arrests and detainments.Keep up-to-date: http:/ru.indymedia.org/int
A G8 summit has been planned to take place from 15-17 July in St Petersburg, Russia. Several sources have reported that a systematic police crackdown on people participating in alternative meetings (a Libertarian Forum and the Russian Social Forum) and critical of the official meeting has begun almost a week prior to the summit. Estimates range from dozens to one or two hundred arrests and detentions.

For the past several years, especially since the 27th G8 summit in 2001 in Genoa, the G8 summits of the leaders of seven of the world's richest industrialised countries and of Russia have been regularly met by popular protests by critics who assert that members of G8 are responsible for global issues such as global warming due to carbon dioxide emission, poverty in Africa and developing countries due to debt crisis and unfair trade policy, exacerbating the AIDS crisis by medicine patent policy and other problems that are related to globalization. These protests have been met by massive numbers of arrests and police violence, on some occasions.

In contrast to previous G8 meetings, this time arrests have been taking place a week before the official meeting itself has started. At least 23-25 human rights activists and political activists, including two German citizens, have been detained by police in Moscow, St Petersburg and other cities in Russia since 7 July. Many of them have been sentenced to ten days' imprisonment, enough to prevent them from participation in political protests until the end of the official summit.

Some sources claim that the true detention rate may be much higher, such as an unconfirmed report attributed to the Siberian Confederation of Labour (Сибирской Конфедерации Труда) claiming 200 arrests. The activists' legal team claims that more than 100 arrests and detainments have occurred.

Discussions on global energy issues and other themes have started at the Libertarian Forum despite the arrests, and the Russian Social Forum is expected to start on schedule on 13 July, followed by the official G8 meeting on 15-17 July. Permission to carry out a street demonstration by the Russian Social Forum has been refused by the authorities.

Russian authorities say that demonstrations are permitted, but only in the location set aside for them - a sports stadium about 25 km (16 miles) from the Constantine Palace, which will house the summit. The Russian Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Chekalin said that allegations of harassment were "from the realms of supposition". 

"The police's actions are commensurate with the situation at hand. The situation demands particular measures, sometimes intensified. Sometimes it demands that we visit a family in their apartment," He said.