German volunteers arrested in Mahilou

Volunteers from Germany were detained in the pedagogical institute and accused of unlawful activity that can lead to deportation.

According to local human rights activists, German volunteers Solwei Schoris and Susana Paul, invited to a meeting with students, were detained in the pedagogical institute in Mahilou.

As informed by the press service of Viasna human rights center, militiamen guarded the German volunteers to the Leninski district militia department on an accusation of illegal activity. The volunteers came to Belarus about five months ago on an invitation of Blue Shores Foundation, an NGO dealing with physically challenged children with artistic skills.

A foundation representative and two German citizens are in the militia station now. Solwei Schoris and Susana Paul are under threat of deportation.

According to Susana Paul, they are accused of carrying out unauthorized meetings in education establishments of the city.

As the volunteer says, two men in mufti visited their apartment yesterday and began to question them, which was filmed, Radio Svaboda reports. The volunteers weren’t asked if they agreed on taking video.

The German citizens are shocked by the situation. According to them, they didn’t commit anything unlawful.