Customs officers return book by Valery Karbalevich to its owner, but refuse to familiarize him with results of examination

Officers of Ashmiany Customs promised to return the book “Aliaksandr Lukashenka – Political Portrait” by Valery Karbalevich, to its owner, Salihorsk activist Aliaksandr Malochka. However, he does not hurry to celebrate his victory.

The customs officers ignored his requirement to be familiarized with the results of the expert examination.

“Although four months have passed since the seizure of the book, I'm still pleased with the fact that Hrodna experts-ideologists have not seen any sedition in the book by Mr. Karbalevich. Pitifully enough, they didn't even apologize for the detention of the book, and didn't present me the results of the examination,” says Aliaksandr Malochka.

This means that the next time he reads the book about Lukashenka at the border without this paper, he may face the same problems again. Moreover, to get his book back Mr. Malochka will have to the place where it is kept.

“I sent another appeal to the leadership of Ashmiany customs, that they should find a possibility to send me the book. There is a very hard economic situation in “Belaruskali” where I am currently working, and I do not have the financial capacity to carry out such expensive journeys,” says the activist. “In addition, this book is not some goods, as stated by the customs officers in their answers, it is my personal thing. The examination hasn't fined any propaganda of extremism of hatred in it, which means that it was seized from me illegally. Then let them correct their own willfulness on their own.”

Mr. Malochka reminds about the flagrant violation of procedural norms by the customs officers and
says he may try to bring the perpetrators to justice after receiving the book.