Search at Vadzim Bohdan’s

According to Svietlahorsk district council of Frantsishak Skaryna Belarusian Language Society on 12 November the flat of the public activists Vadzim Bohdan in Svietlahorsk was searched. The owner was absent. The parents said the flat was searched by the police, possibly together with a KGB worker. They showed the order and stated they searched for drugs. The name in the order was incorrect – Uladzimir instead of Vadzim. In fact, they searched for printed materials and multiplying equipment and confiscated the informational bulletins “16” devoted to Solidarity Day action and 30 copies of Rehianalnyia Naviny newspaper. The main part of the confiscated materials was received from Partnership civil initiative.

During the search they saw on the wall an old Belarusian diaper with “sparysh” swastika-like ornament, symbol of family well-being (Slavonic peoples have used many kinds of swastika since the ancient times, one of the examples can be seen in the ornament at the official, red-green flag of Belarus). Of course, the police stated it was a fascist symbol. Having also found a sticker with a man in the military uniform and an orange sticker with the inscription “Today Ukraine – Tomorrow Belarus” they concluded that Vadzim Bohdan was a fascist. Meanwhile, such statements as “The German order formed for centuries. During Hitler’s rule this forming reached its highest point” (Aliaksandr Lukashenka, interview to “Handelsblatt” German newspaper), are unlikely to bring such associations.