LGBT human rights activist Siarhei Androsenka stripped to shorts at customs control, his passport seized

Siarhei Androsenka, activist of the GayBelarus LGBT human rights movement, was detained at the Hudahai border check point while returning from Vilnius by train. His personal belongings were carefully examined.

An hour later, after an order the head of Ashmiany customs I. Niviarkevich, the officials carried out a personal customs inspection. Siarhei Androsenka was stripped to his underwear; meanwhile, the customs officers carefully checked his clothes and shoes.

After the examination, the activist received copies of search acts and passport, and told that he was free. However, when leaving the customs hall the activist was approached by another customs officer who asked him to follow him to another building to address a “technical issue”. As a result, the activist’s passport was seized, as it reportedly was in the database of invalid documents.