English

Third person said to have arrested over teddy bear stunt

The Committee for State Security (KGB) has arrested a third person in connection with a pro-democracy stunt carried out by Sweden's public relations agency Studio Total, said news website charter97.org.

On July 4, a single-engine plane piloted by Studio Total representatives invaded Belarus' airspace and dropped hundreds of teddy bears with "pro-free speech" signs on the town of Ivyanets and Minsk.

On July 19, KGB officers arrested Katsyaryna Skurat, 16, who was the first person to take pictures of the teddy bears dropped by the Swedes, according to the website. She is believed to have sent the images to photographer Anton Surapin, who then published them.

The KGB press office declined to comment on the report.

The reported arrest took place six days after the KGB apprehended Mr. Surapin on suspicion of assisting illegal entry under Article 371 of the Criminal Code. He has been held in the KGB detention center in Minsk.

Syarhey Basharymaw, the man who is believed to have leased out an apartment to representatives of Studio Total who arrived in Belarus to take pictures of the drop and provide help to the pilots in case of emergency, is also said to be held in the KGB jail.

Studio Total representatives said that they had not had any contact with Belarusian citizens prior to the stunt and the arrested people were innocent. // BelaPAN