The Prisoners

Christian Moser
born 03. October 1976, lives in Tirol

Christian is father to 3 children to whom is he very close. Being separated from his family is the hardest thing for him right now. Christian is a trained restaurateur, sculptor and artist. He cares deeply about human and animal rights. This is reflected in his creative work, where he is not afraid to use artistic provocation to get people thinking about issues.
Christian organises the weekly anti fur information stands for the VGT in Innsbruck outside Kleider Bauer. He brings his creativity to these events as well in the form of theatre and drum performances.

Read Christian’s open letters (German): 19.06., 18.07.
Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Christian Moser, Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Chris" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Christof

Activist of the der Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BaT).

Open Letter from Christof
Dear friends, dear solidary people! It’s been over one and a half months that officers of a special force unit arrested me with pointed guns out of my bed. Since then I am, like three other animal welfare/rights activists, in pre-trial detention in “Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt” [prison, transl.]. I pass my time with reading a lot, doing some sport in the little cell, watching TV (Simpsons!) and reading more. Reading gives me the feeling to utilize time usefully, to study further instead of just killing boredom. Furthermore I spend a lot of time reading my mail again and again and answering it. So far I have received letters and postcards from lots of different people worldwide which made very happy and gave me a lot of strength!It’s great to hear what’s going on outside, what occupies you, how you spend your day. This helps to fight the isolation, the separation, exactly what repression aims at.
On this way thanks to everyone who has written me so far! Please don’t be angry if I don’t answer all the letters - I really get a lot of mail.
Despite all the inconveniences by the painful disconnection from all those I love that mean everything to me, it gives me a great lot of strength to know so many people behind me. It gives me courage to hear from so many solidarity-manifestations, -demos, -parties, open discussions etc. that deal with “our” subject. Your solidarity and often very practical support is noticeable here in the can in lots of little situations every day and definitely make a big difference for me.
For that I thank you a great many times and wish you, like all other imprisoned animal welfarists and animal rights activists, a lot of energy further on!
Love, Christoph

Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt
E-mails with "Christof" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Dipl.-Ing. Elmar Völkl
born 11. February 1977, lives in Vienna

Leading up to his arrest, Elmar had been working flat out on his doctor thesis in technical physics. He devotes much of his spare time to computers and cars. But, he is also particularly interested in philosophy and sport. If this ever good natured fitness freak hasn’t got his nose in a philosophy book, then you can be sure that he will be either mountain biking or working out.
His bike is his trusty steed and he regularly attends "Critical Mass" bike demos. Now and then he takes part in VGT activities, goes to marches and is always there to help out with small or large computer and car problems.

Read Elmar’s open letters (German): 19.06.
Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Elmar Völkl (JA Eisenstadt), Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Elmar" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Mag. Felix Hnat
born 15. July 1982, lives in Lower Austria

Felix has studied economics and has been involved in campaigning for animal rights, sustainability, veganism and environmental protection for many years. As chairperson of the Austrian Vegan Society, often talks in public and to the media about the benefits of a vegan life style. One of his more unusual public engagements for veganism was as part of an Austrian reality TV show. Felix is also editor in chief fort he bi-annual “vegan.at“magazine, where he makes it his responsibility to bring well researched facts concerning health, politics and economics in combination with veganism to a wide audience.
Along side working on his doctor thesis, this fitness fan puts as much time as he can into VGT campaigns and into projects such as “critical Mass“ bike demos and the “Civil Society“.

Read Felix’s statement: www.vegan.at
Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Felix Hnat (JA Eisenstadt), Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Felix" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Jan

Jan is active in the Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BaT), radio editor at Orange 94.0 and in addition to this also active in other social movements.

Open Letter from Jan
Even though the walls are high, thick, and covered with barbed wire, the windows are barred and the steel doors are locked, I can feel here inside the solidarity and support from outside!
Many thanks to all those who are taking care of us, looking after the animals that we live with, taking care of the doors which were kicked in, the plants, the rent, making sure we get laundry, letters, visits, and money and regularly hear solidarity demonstrations. And many thanks to all who stand up for an anti-authoritarian society, where people show solidarity with one another and which is free from violence. I am doing well despite all the adversities of the monotony of prison. I miss however freedom and above all many people and animals who are dear to me! I am receiving vegan food, including (after weeks) even soy milk, spreads and margarine. The only possibility to move around is in the prison yard - 1 hour a day, 50 paces in a circle. There are not many other possibilities to pass the time, except reading, letters, and television. I only have contact with social prisoners, I am at the moment with 5 others in a cell. We mostly show solidarity in our dealings with one another. Conflicts almost never come up.
I do not trust myself to give a political of legal assessment at the moment because I am largely cut off from information and completely cut off from the other accused persons. The only thing that is certain is that “prison”, thanks to the large solidarity and support from outside but also because of my experiences inside the walls, has lost much of the horror, with which it was always bound.
I hope all you on the outside are doing well! For an anti-authoritarian society without prisons and cages!
JAN

Read Jan's second open letter: antirep2008.lnxnt.org
Justizanstalt Josefstadt
E-mails with "Jan" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Jürgen Faulmann
born 19. July 1969, lives in Lower Austria

Since the mid 90s Jürgen, father of two, has been active for animals. He has been involved with VGT right from the beginning. Jürgen moved to Germany some years back to work for the animal rights organisation PETA. But, he came back home to Austria and now plays an important role at Four Paws International as Campaigns Director. Jürgen is known in the movement for his hard to top outfits: the repenting hunter is one of his most impressive! Jürgen also took part in the Austrian TV reality show with Felix Hnat. For Jürgen the best way of getting the idea of animal rights across, apart from informing the public of the suffering animals are made to endure, is in the form of colourful and creative actions and fantastic tasting vegan food.
This trained chefs most recent project is called "Burger Master" (which is a nice play on words with Bürgermeister meaning mayor in German). The Burger Master mobile is a state-of-the-art burger van selling vegan only burgers and kebabs!

Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Jürgen Faulmann, Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Juergen" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Kevin K.
born 18. July 1978, lives in Vienna

Kevin is active in the Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BaT) and vice chairman of Tierbefreier e.V. (The Animal Liberators).

Open Letter from Kevin
Over 6 weeks have passed now since masked units with drawn guns have stormed into my flat, searched everything, put the dog that was living with me into an animal shelter and finally arrested me. Only bit by bit i realized the extent of those massive reprisals and that 23 flats were stormed and wrecked and 10 persons including good friends were arrested. Those massive interferences with privacy and lives were made possible by the dubious construction of a “criminal organisation”/§278a which we are rumored to have built and to be member of, respectively.
Only shortly after my arrest i noticed protests ï»for the first time. But after i found out a few days later about how much solidarity was shown coming from many countries, it gave me great strength in here. I was very happy to see that such a criminalization of a social movement is not just taken and that people from most different political circumstances are getting active together and demonstrate solidarity.
The can is different than i had imagined and even if i miss freedom, friends, “my” dog and many more, i’m alright according to the circumstances. Spending 23 hours a day on few square meters, suddenly having to live a boring life without any autonomy, incarcerated behind metre high walls was something of a changeover i had to learn to adapt to. This succeeded somewhat good and so the recent extension of pre-trial detention couldn’t really throw me off track.
In the meantime i got TV, radio and a CD-player in my cell. In addition i was allowed to receive books for my schooling so i can also use my time for learning. But food bundles, books, magazines and CDs are
restricted to be sent to me and can only be bought over the prison. At present letters arrive at me with a delay of sometimes 1-2 weeks. I try to answer to them promptly but letter contact is difficult with such
delays.
The supply with vegan food and vegan products has become acceptable in the meantime. Like this for example it’s possible for me to buy soymilk and the like once per week.
I’d like to wholeheartedly thank everybody out there who organized demos, presentations, solidarity-parties or took part in them, those who printed shirts/patches and much else, sent letters and postcards, became hosts for the affected animals, repaired apartment doors, cleaned up apartments, payed rents and bills and much much more! Solidarity is more than just a word, you showed that clearly! Many thanks for that! …and I will probably never forget how the can silence was disrupted for the first time with the parole “Solidarity - you are not alone”!
Also many greetings from here to the others incarcerated and to all the people out there who do not close their eyes and put themselves out everyday once again for a different solidary world!
In a society where animals have no right to live and be unharmed at all, where they are incarcerated in livestock farms, laboratories and so-called furm-farms by the billions, murdered in the slaughterhouses,
their bodies dissected and made commodities… no, I won’t be silent about that and stop opposing it. Not even faced with massive repression, never! For every single one of them!
Kevin K. 04/07/2008

Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Kevin K., Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Kevin" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Leo

Leo is active in the Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BaT) and radio editor at Orange 94.0.

E-mails with "Leo" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

DDr. Martin Balluch

born 12. October 1964, lives in Vienna
The president of the VGT has a doctorate in natural sciences as well as in philosophy. After finishing his studies he worked as a university assistant at the University of Vienna, University of Heidelberg, Germany and University of Cambridge, UK. When he returned to Austria, he made animal rights into his main occupation. Martin teaches in schools as an invited animal protection teacher, mainly to sixth form classes. In 2005 his philosophy thesis was published as a book “The Continuity of Consciousness: The Scientific Argument for Animal Rights” (Yet to be translated into English).
Martin loves nature, especially the mountains and uses every opportunity to go hiking, climbing and skiing.
Immediately before his arrest, Martin had been investing time in the issue of live animal transport and in preparing for the campaign “Animal Protection in the Constitution“, which was due to be launched on the very day of his arrest …

Read Martin’s statements: 27.05., 04.06., 13.06., Court at Remand Review Hearing
Letters: Justizanstalt Wr. Neustadt, Martin Balluch (JA Josefstadt), Maximiliang. 3, 2700 Wr. Neustadt, Austria
E-mails with "Martin" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at

Sabine

Sabine is an activist of the Basisgruppe Tierrechte (BaT) and radio editor at Orange 94.0 .

Open Letter from Sabine
Hello dears! A small sign of life from me and first of all a giant thanks for your wonderful support. It is great to know that many people are thinking of me and it gives me a lot of strength here. It is a terrible feeling to be isolated and locked away from my social circle, my friends and my family, separated from my dogs, who wait for my everyday in vain. But I try to continually think positive, and it is tremendously comforting to know that my animals are doing well. A special thank you to the dear people who are looking after Amigo, Leia and the rats, who are taking care of them financially and emotionally, and are doing everything so that they can feel ok despite their difficult situation. Thank you for the many encouraging letters, postcards and photos, and I am happy every time when I hear you all outside protesting in front of the prison. You all are super and I wish you all a lot of strength and stamina.
I am thinking of you all, see you soon SABINE

E-mails with "Sabine" in the subject line to: info@vegan.at