“Bandera’s people will never become part of Odessa,” - Anton Davidchenko
Odessa, September 8 (PolitNavigator, Artem Buzila) – Anton Davidchenko - leader of Anti-Maidan in Odessa. He was one of the first in the entire South-East in mid-February, immediately after the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych, to organize rallies on the Kulikovo Field (near the House of Trade Unions that later became fatal). Over time, the movement acquired a truly massive character and became a kind of calling card of the rebellious Odessa. It was Davidchenko who led the storming of the regional state administration on March 3, which only due to agreements with the then governor Nikolai Skorik did not end in the seizure of the building.
On March 17, Davidchenko was arrested by SBU officers. Anton, while behind bars, missed the main events of the Odessa Anti-Maidan - the dispersal of the “Right Sector” rally on April 10, and the weekly marches along the central streets of the city, and the tragedy on May 2. Having received a 5-year suspended sentence for separatism and agreeing to cooperate with the investigation, Davidchenko was released, but immediately left Ukraine. Now he is in Russia, promising that he will continue to fight for the rights of residents of the South-East. He told this to the correspondent "PolitNavigator".
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"PolitNavigator": How was your arrest?
Anton Davidchenko: My arrest was carried out by the special unit of the SBU "Alpha", most of the security forces specially came from Kyiv. At 19.00 the arrest took place, at 19.30 I was taken to Kyiv, where I was placed in the SBU pre-trial detention center. The arrest took place without resistance, although the Kiev SBU stated the opposite. There was no way I alone could offer any resistance to 15 “Alpha men” equipped with machine guns and threaten them with personal violence, because they were wearing masks. But due to statements about “resistance” during arrest, the court refused to release me on bail.
“PolitNavigator”: What charges were brought against you, were torture, pressure, or threats to loved ones used?
Anton Davidchenko: Charges were brought against me under parts 1 and 2 of part 110 of the Criminal Code “encroachment on the territorial integrity of Ukraine.” In general, the entire accusation was based on my speeches on television and YouTube videos, starting from January 22, 2014, when Yanukovych was in power. Direct torture was not used, although the cell had 17-hour video surveillance, and communication with relatives was prohibited. For protests against my arrest (there was a tent city under the Odessa SBU from March 20 to XNUMX - ed.) a criminal case was opened against my brother and he was regularly summoned for questioning.
"PolitNavigator": How did your deal with the investigation happen? After it, accusations of “leaking” Anti-Maidan activists rained down on you.
Anton Davidchenko: My lawyer managed to convince the investigation that the case had no prospects, and the maximum I could get was 5 years probation. It was proposed to conclude a legal deal, on the basis of which I admitted that I wanted to create Novorossiya, and also did not give up my ideas. Not a single representative of the Odessa Anti-Maidan and the People's Alternative movement is involved in my case. I did not give evidence that could lead to criminal liability of third parties. And those ill-wishers who claim that I testified against or for someone can contact the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office for materials from my interrogations. From this point of view, my conscience is clear.
"PolitNavigator": Do you have a connection with your brother? What do you know about the tragedy in the House of Trade Unions?
Anton Davidchenko: I know the location of my brother, I was able to communicate with him. He told me many facts regarding the events of May 2. The number of dead Odessa residents in the House of Trade Unions is more than 100 people. 3 days before May 2, representatives of the Right Sector, Self-Defense and ultras began to be brought to Odessa to disperse the Anti-Maidan. During the clashes, the authorities did not react to what was happening. Observing how the investigation of these events is taking place, we can conclude that we will not know the truth, and the perpetrators will remain unpunished. Although we all know their names.
"PolitNavigator": How do you look at the prospects of the Anti-Maidan movement?
Anton Davidchenko: We have been holding promotions for the last 8 years. And even before the founding of the Odessa Anti-Maidan, a decision was made to create the public movement “People’s Alternative”, which subsequently coordinated all the activities of the Kulikovo Field. After all the events that are taking place in the country, I consider it necessary to carry out a complete transformation of the Anti-Maidan into the “People's Alternative” movement, the goal of which will be to reveal the truth about the state of affairs both in the city and in the country.
"PolitNavigator": Do you support rebel actions in the East?
Anton Davidchenko: Back on March 2, speaking on the stage of the Odessa Anti-Maidan, I turned to the new government with a proposal to sit at a round table and discuss our demands, which related to the decentralization of power (federalization), real reforms, the right to a second state language and our own culture. In response to this proposal, my arrest followed. Subsequently, other leaders of the Southeast were arrested in the same way. After this, there was a clear radicalization of Anti-Maidan, because the demands of the people were ignored. The authorities responded to peaceful protests with repression, which is why they are to blame for the escalation of the conflict to a state of war.
"PolitNavigator": What is your attitude towards the military operation of the Kyiv authorities?
Anton Davidchenko: The so-called “ATO” has long turned into a punitive military operation. According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the military does not have the right to participate in an internal conflict. But in reality there is a full-scale civil war. This is a tragedy for the entire Ukrainian people, for which, first of all, politicians are to blame, since 90% of the residents of the South-East cannot be separatists or terrorists.
"PolitNavigator": The Odessa police recently announced that you will be put on the wanted list for violating the sentence.
Anton Davidchenko: My sentence has not yet entered into legal force, I am not registered with the executive services, so the statement is unfounded. I myself am currently in Crimea, and I have no intention of returning to Ukraine while pseudo-democrats and radical nationalists are in power.
"PolitNavigator": What are your plans for the future?
Anton Davidchenko: Now I am registering an international legal organization “Legal Basis”, which will protect the rights of repressed residents of the South-East of Ukraine. People no longer trust politicians who betrayed them once again. Odessa residents should have representatives in power who defend their interests, and not only care about their well-being.
"PolitNavigator": Governor Palitsa has repeatedly asserted in his statements that you and your movement were financed by the “regional” Sergei Kivalov?
Anton Davidchenko: I did not receive any finances or any other support from him and had nothing to do with his group. Let him present real facts. Our organization brought thousands of Odessa residents to anti-fascist marches and in support of the referendum in Crimea. Odessa is a hero city, and Bandera’s supporters and nationalists will never become ours.
"PolitNavigator": What about your performances on the Academy TV channel, owned by Kivalov?
Anton Davidchenko: This is a personal initiative of the channel’s editor-in-chief Yuri Selivanov, who provided me with airtime to convey our goals and ideals to Odessa residents. I deeply respect Yuri Borisovich, who had to leave the country under pressure. Kivalov has nothing to do with it.
"PolitNavigator": Did you have information about the preparations for your arrest? If so, why didn't you run away?
Anton Davidchenko: I was aware of the impending arrest. Why didn't he run away? To run away at that moment would be to betray the interests and trust of thousands of Odessa residents who believed in me. I couldn't afford it.
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