Vogelvrij Newsletter #1
Of course these news are not complete, we just collected the different things we heard about and the information we could find. If there is something you would like to see in our next newsletter or if you notice that we got some information wrong, send us an email! [Read More]
Activists who took over the multi-million property (Vossiusstraat 16) owned by Russian sanctioned billionaire Arkady Volozh last October, are facing another court case this coming Wednesday.
Volozh, the founder of Russian search engine Yandex, lost an earlier court case against the squatters in November. At that time the judge ruled the squatters would not have to vacate the property because it is frozen as a result of the sanctions and would thus remain unused, since Volozh is barred from entering Europe after being placed on the EU sanctions list for promoting the war with Ukraine through his search engine. The legal situation remains unchanged since November, as Volozh is still on the EU sanctions list. He nonetheless will try his luck again in a higher appeal set to take place this Wednesday.
The squatters attest that the opposing party has submitted last-minute evidence in an attempt to discredit the new residents. The evidence includes videos and pictures taken from inside the squatted building and screenshots from an internal group chat. According to the squatters these videos were taken without their knowledge and consent over a period of two months by a man who claimed to be a refugee from Ukraine in need of a place to stay. [Read More]
Sunday 9 April 2023, Leidseplein, Amsterdam, 15:00 https://squ.at/r/9c98
On the 12th of April the Vossiusstraat 16 has their second court case, the appeal to the decision that was given in November and which had allowed the squatters to stay.
To show support to the squatters, and in order to voice our disagreement with the the high presence of Yandex in the Netherlands, a demonstration will take place on Sunday the 9th of April. It will start on Leidseplein at 3pm!
Volozh, the billionaire Maltese passport-purchaser, was put on the sanctions list because Yandex promoted Kremlin propaganda and passed on data about activists to the state. All while being registered as a company in the Netherlands. Yandex’s news site has in the meantime been bought by the Russian state and now the company thinks they can turn over a bright new leaf as a normal. Since the first court case, Volozh’s company Yandex has massively expanded their presence in the Netherlands. Other EU countries have banned Yandex services from operating in their country, but not the Netherlands! [Read More]
Last Wednesday we heard the verdict of our court case. As many of you may have heard already, WE WON! This is not just great for all the people living in the Vossiusstraat squat and organising political events in it, but for the entire squatting movement and for everyone who likes watching (Russian) billionaires get their property taken away.
Volozh’s lawyer tried to claim that Volozh’s family plans to move into the building. In that case, why did they split the building into three different addresses? Why are there SIX bathtubs? Why does every floor have its own locks?
The renovations of the building were ruled to be unlawful. If we had not squatted the building, they would have continued their works undisturbed — as per their own admittance. This makes clear that at this moment, the sanctions are not actually being upheld by the Dutch government. [Read More]
CALL TO ACTION: Come to our civil court case and support the squat on the Vossiusstraat 16!
This Wednesday 9th of November 10:30 at Parnassusweg 280, 1076 AV Amsterdam. Let’s show the judge, the owner Arkadiy Volozj (who is a sanctioned Russian billionaire) and Wolfs Advocaten that there is broad support for the squatting of Vossiusstraat 16. Volozj’s involvement in the war will not go unnoticed. We will not be intimidated by the law or the rich!
The court case is publicly accessible. You can be present for the entire hearing, or a part thereof, to show support for the action. To attend the hearing you need to show your identification at the entrance of the courthouse, but your name will not be shared with anyone besides the personel of the courthouse. It is therefore not anonymous, we encourage those who do not feel comfortable identifying themselves to the court to show up anyway but stay outside in front of the courthouse as a solidarity protest. [Read More]
Today we are announcing our new home at Vossiusstraat 16. The police just arrived! Come and support.
We purposefully decided to squat this building, owned by Russian billionaire Arkadiy Volozj. As everyone knows, the Russian army invaded Ukraine this year. This is just the latest in a list of Putin’s crimes, against Ukraine, against LGBT people, in Syria, and many more. With this year’s invasion, the Russian state is finally widely denounced as criminal, genocidal, and as an authoritarian state. Volozj, who founded Russian propaganda site Yandex, has been placed on the sanctions list of the European Union since the invasion, as the EU determined he “is supporting, materially or financially, the Government of the Russian Federation and is responsible for supporting actions or policies which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”.
Yet this house was not frozen until a few weeks ago, because it’s owned through a company on the Virgin Islands. The billionaire’s lawyers contacted the government to inform them of his property here, but the government didn’t send it on to the department responsible for sanctions. Clearly, the Dutch state doesn’t see it as a priority to curb billionaires and oligarchs. National sanctions coordinator Stef Blok claimed that the Dutch housing market just isn’t interesting to Russian oligarchs. That’s obviously bullshit.
About 9000 properties in the Netherlands were bought through companies in tax havens. 6000 houses are owned by companies that through shady constructions are untraceable. In total, they own 10.5 billion euros worth of properties. It’s clear: There is no housing shortage, there is an excess of rich people. [Read More]
