Vladimir Bukovsky's appeal to TV Licence Refuseniks

Recieved this email from Vladimir Bukovsky today..

Dear friend and colleague,

It is seven years since we started our campaign against BBC bias. At the time, it might have seemed as a desperate rebellion which would land us all in prisons; but instead, the BBC quietly retreated and pretended we did not exist.

It is only now, seven years later, that they reluctantly accepted our challenge – because the public has lost any trust in the BBC; because the
series of outrageous scandals has destroyed the last memories of their credibility; because the number of TV Licence Refuseniks is growing without any recruiting efforts on our part. I am particularly pleased to welcome aboard Gerard Batten, the UKIP’s excellent MEP for London, who has now joined this campaign and agreed to be our Spokesman.

To be brief, the BBC is now driven into a corner. So, they have resolved to attack – but they still dare not prosecute me. They only write letters
trying to persuade me that my non-payment of TV licence is perfectly legal. Instead, out of 2,000 Refuseniks, they have chosen an old age pensioner victim – John Kelly; they ambushed him in Devon, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the summer when it is most difficult to mobilise public support. And yet, we went there and supported him, and the case was all over the press, and the whole thing resulted only in a new wave of protest against the BBC bias. Furthermore, now we shall go to the High Court to have John’s conviction quashed; we are considering a number of other legal actions to take against the BBC/TVLA; and we are re-launching a full-scale campaign to break the BBC’s last lines of defence and force them to honour their duty of unbiased reporting.

We are immeasurably closer to victory than we were seven years ago. We have almost won it hands down. Yet, now the battle has begun; so all of us (however old and lazy we may have grown) will need to make some efforts.

We now have a new web-site www.bbcrefuseniks.co.uk – please have a look at it and take the trouble to re-register (it is extremely simple).

Next, we need volunteers for all kinds of work. Jerry Wraith has been an excellent coordinator and treasurer, and has done more than anyone for this campaign – but unfortunately, he cannot do that anymore. We owe it to him to find people who would carry on with his work and be worthy of their brilliant predecessor.

So, first of all, we urgently need a new treasurer. Secondly, we need people capable of organising and coordinating things. Thirdly, we need
people who can join Paul Wiffen writing and editing the web-site’s content. Fourthly, we need people with any legal knowledge to join the
legal team. Fifthly, we need researchers to monitor the BBC programmes, noting and documenting all further evidence of bias. Sixthly and, perhaps, most importantly, we need people with initiatives, who will fulfil tasks of their own invention. If you are willing to help with any of the above, please write a brief e-mail (just your name and the work you can do for the campaign) to bukovsky @ bbcrefuseniks.co.uk.

Finally, our war-chest is empty. That is why finding a treasurer is so urgent. As soon as we have one, I shall ask you for donations – and every
single penny will count. We are now at war – and the war takes resources.


All in all, be aware that we are on an offensive once more.

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Vladimir Bukovsky


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