Opposition activist in Homyel receives anonymous threats for displaying white-red-white flag over his house

Opposition activist Kanstantsin Zhukowski on Wednesday received anonymous threats for displaying Belarus' historically national white-red-white flag over his house in Homyel.

The activist hung the now-banned flag on January 22 to mark 150 years since the beginning of the 1863-64 anti-Russian uprising in what is now Poland and Belarus.

As Mr. Zhukowski told BelaPAN, he received phone calls from a man who told him to remove the flag. "If you don't remove [the flag], you'll get 15 days in jail," Mr. Zhukowski quoted the man as saying. When the activist asked the caller to introduce himself, the latter hung up.

"I am sure that it was a police officer. On the anniversary of the popular uprising the current regime showed whom it really serves," Mr. Zhukowski said.

Shortly before the first call, Mr. Zhukowski took down the flag, fearing that it could be torn amid a strong wind. However, the activist said that he would hang the flag again to show that he was not afraid of anonymous threats. In addition, he announced plans to complain to a prosecutor's office about the threats.