On April 14, police raided four employees of the Russian student publication Doxa Armen Aramyan, Alla Gutnikova, Vladimir Metelkin and Natalia Tyshkevich. At the moment, all four have been accused of “involving teenagers in protests.” The basis was a video where journalists condemned the persecution of students for supporting Alexei Navalny.
The measure of restraint for the employees of the magazine is as follows: they must not leave their homes, use the Internet (in general) and communicate with any people except lawyers and relatives.
In response to these actions, an open letter of solidarity with Doxa employees was posted online. It was signed by teachers from universities in the USA, Russia, Great Britain, Israel, Italy, France, Germany and other European countries. Among the signatories are the philosophers Judith Butler, Etienne Balibar, Slava Zizek, Jody Dean and others.
“Maybe there is some honor to be charged with the same crime as Socrates? However, the suggestion that students need protection from Doxa is notable. Only one who uses education to produce obedience outlaws critical thinking as harmful. And it is no coincidence that such laws are also used against social critics, queer persons and migrants, ” Doxa quotes the text of the letter.
Slavoj ižek, in turn, wrote a letter to Doxa employees, where he wrote words of support.
Doxa magazine is devoted to the problems of the modern university and academic knowledge in general, and also focuses on highlighting the acute moments of Russian and foreign educational systems. Journalists in their texts have always tried to represent the interests of students, alumni and teachers.
