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What for does KGB need a guitar?

2011 2011-12-06T17:42:43+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en The Human Rights Center “Viasna” The Human Rights Center “Viasna”
The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

A civic activist from Asipovichy, Ihar Simbirou, has not been returned his guitar seized by the KGB during a search almost a year ago.

His diaries and netbook have not been returned either.

Trials in the criminal case of “mass disorders” ended long time ago, but Simbirou can only guess why KGB officers need his private belongings.

“I applied to different departments and divisions of the KGB and police. I filed complaints, but these actions gave no results,” Ihar Simbirou says. “I only figured out my things are in the GB department for Minsk and the Minsk region. I call them every week and receive a standard answer: you should wait, your belongings will be returned to you, we are acting in accordance with the law and so on. I do not understand why KGB needs my guitar, diaries with my songs, a netbook with footage of my concerts. I am a musician, I need these things.”

On 19 December 2010, Ihar Simbirou was in a column of Uladzimir Niakliayeu, which was later attacked by “unknown men” in black. He was detained in Minsk on the night of 20 December. Under the court decision, Ihar Simbirou was thrown into a jail in Zhodzina for 15 days. While he was serving his arrest, police searched the flat he had hired in Minsk and seized his property.

Ihar Simbirou thinks KGB officers do not return his belonging because they want to show who has power in this situation.

“A KGB officer told me: ‘We’ll return your belonging when we want’. Can we speak about execution of the law here?”

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