The family of a “Fair World” activist detained on the border
The family of an
activist of the Belarusian Leftist Party “Fair World”, Ilona
Tkachova, was detained by the Belarusian border guards at the border
crossing point “Novaya Huta”.
On 6 December Mrs. Tkachova,
her husband and child were returning home by car. They were driving
from Ukraine after having a rest in Egypt.
The customs
officers searched the car and confiscated a laptop and a photo
camera. “We were kept there since the afternoon and were let go
only after it got dark outside,” said Ilona. “Frankly speaking,
we did not expect such a situation. In Kyiv, we accessed the working
server from the laptop, that's why I think we were watched. The
laptop was hidden, and it was impossible to see it at the first
sight. However, the customs officers immediately demanded that we
gave them the computer, as they knew it was with us”.
According
to Ilona Tkachova, during the time the family was kept on the border
the customs officers didn't even offer them tea or coffee, though a
small child was in the car. The officers did not hide the fact that
the order to search the car was received from some higher
instances.
“Just imagine how it was for us to stay in freeze
after the 30-degree heat (in
Egypt)”,
Tkachova said.
The car was let in Belarus only at 10 p.m.
Dissatisfied with such a treatment, the “Fair World” activist
filed a complaint with the head of the border crossing point “Novaya
Huta” about the unlawful detention of her family and confiscation
of her laptop and photo camera.
