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The family of a “Fair World” activist detained on the border

2012 2012-12-07T13:20:23+0300 1970-01-01T03:00:00+0300 en https://spring96.org./files/images/sources/na_miazhy.jpg The Human Rights Center “Viasna” The Human Rights Center “Viasna”
The Human Rights Center “Viasna”

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.


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