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Volha Klaskowski's mother asks Interpol to help find the Belarusian journalist's baby son

The mother of Volha Klaskowski has asked Interpol to help find the baby son of the Belarusian journalist, who has been fighting deportation from Sweden.

Lyudmila Klaskowski filed the request for assistance with the Belarusian office of the international police organization on March 2.

Volha Klaskowski had her son, now eight months old, taken away from her by Sweden's social services at the beginning of February.

"I haven't seen the child since February 13. We don't know where he is and what is happening to him," the woman told BelaPAN.

Ms. Klaskowski originally lost custody of the Swedish-born child, who holds both Swedish and Belarusian citizenships, but has already been given it back. She now shares custody of her son with his Swedish father, whom she plans to divorce.

"However, no one tells me where the child is. I visited three times the place where my former husband supposedly lives, but I was not let inside," she said.

Ms. Klaskowski, who contributed to the pro-opposition newspaper Narodnaya Volya, was granted political asylum in Sweden a few years ago. She lost her status of refugee after returning to Belarus in 2011 to help the family of her brother Alyaksandr Klaskowski, a former policeman who was arrested during a December 2010 post-election street protest in Minsk and sent to prison for participation in "mass disorder."

The woman left Belarus in August 2011, one month before her brother was pardoned by Alyaksandr Lukashenka and released from prison.

Ms. Klaskowski married the Swede about a year ago and gave birth to their son in July 2012. However, she has been denied a Swedish residence permit. Her Schengen visa expired on February 28.

Mr. Klaskowski said that she was in constant contact with and received assistance from Belarusian diplomats.