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2012 08 10

Lithuanian prosecutors receive Belarus' request for legal assistance in teddy-bear campaign investigation

The Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office has received a Belarusian call for legal assistance in the investigation of the suspected violation of the Lithuanian-Belorussian border by a small Swedish airplane on 4 July.
Lėktuvas virš Baltarusijos
Swedish plane over Belarus

"The call has been received. We are collecting data before deciding on provision of legal assistance," Prosecutor General Darius Valys confirmed to BNS on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Belorussian official services reported they had sent the call to Lithuania and Sweden for legal assistance for suspected violation of the state border.

Belorussian news portal belaPAN cited Alexander Antonovich, chief of the KGB information and public relations center, as saying that the appeals to Lithuania and Sweden had been sent by the Belorussian Prosecutor General's Office.

In Antonovich's words, the Belorussian appeal indicates that the unsanctioned flight violated “air-space rules of Sweden, Lithuania, and the NATO bloc” in addition to those of Belarus.

Furthermore, he said the Belorussian side demanded that the Swedes who organized and participated in the flight should come to Minsk.

According to the KGB website, a criminal investigation has been opened into the unlawful crossing of the state border by Swedish citizens. Two Belorussian citizens were also charged with complicity in the Swedish campaign.

On 4 July, a small airplane of Swedish activists allegedly entered the Belorussian territory from Lithuania and dropped 1,000 teddy-bears in what they said was an effort to demand free speech and human rights.

Belarus' official services initially denied the fact. However, less than a month after the incident, the president sacked air force and border chiefs.

The incident sparked a diplomatic conflict between Belarus and Sweden. Minsk announced its decision on Wednesday to recall all diplomats from Sweden and order Stockholm to recall its diplomatic staff from Minsk.

Earlier on Thursday, Lithuania's Minister of National Defense Rasa Juknevičienė said Lithuania had no information about the "teddy bear" incident in Belarus, adding that the request for assistance should be processed it pursuant to existing laws.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Administration's deputy director Alvydas Šumskas told BNS the agency was considering opening an administrative offense case against the Swedish pilots.

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