Civil activists searched on the border
On 30 September the
Belarusian customs officers searched the civil activists Siarzhuk Semianiuk and
Iryna Smiayan-Semianiuk at the border crossing point “Novaya Huta”.
The family was returning from the Ukraine after a visit with
relatives. According to Iryna, at first they were detained for half an hour –
most probably, the customs officers didn’t know what to do with them. Then
customs officer Piatro Khamutovich said “You see, we don’t know where you
travel” and added that their car would be examined.
However, the customs officers searched not only the car, but also all personal
belongings of Iryna and Siarzhuk and drew up an act of examination. Nothing
illegal was found, though.
“Maybe they liked T-shirts of the campaign against the death penalty in Belarus,
which were in the car, as they unfolded them and looked at them with interest”,
pointed Iryna Semianiuk. “They also searched all our things and the car,
including the glove compartment and the hood. They were evidently looking for
money.”
