Updated at 13:53,23-12-2024

Lithuania not to assist Minsk in the case of teddy bear drop?

UDF.BY

Vilnius will not provide Minsk with details about the teddy bears drop, if it sees political motives in prosecutions, Chairman of the Committee for National Security and Defense of Seimas Arvidas Anushauskas told Euroradio on Thursday

According to him, the Lithuanian politicians considered the negative experience obtained in Ales Byalyatski's case. The criminal case against the Belarusian HR defender was started on the basis of the information received from Lithuania. Now, several institutions should make their conclusions with regard to the enquiries like that, the politician says.

"I think, the fact that in connection with the incident several people are facing charges will be also be taken into account. Despite the fact that the Swedish pilots and the organization, which organized the flight, deny any involvement of Belarusian citizens in this rally. Therefore, if our institutions will see any political motivation in these prosecutions, the information may not be granted", said Arvydas Anushauskas.

On July 4, a single-engine plane piloted by two representatives of Sweden’s public relations agency Studio Total invaded Belarus` airspace and dropped hundreds of teddy bears with "pro-free speech" signs on the town of Ivyanets and Minsk before flying back to Lithuania unhindered.

Announcing their stunt, Studio Total released videos made during the flight.

Addressing the head of the Lithuanian Seimas' national security and defense committee on August 10, Valentinas Mazuronis of the Order and Justice group in the parliament said that the incident should be discussed by the committee, said Russia's news agency RIA Novosti.

Speaking on August 9, Mr. Lukashenka warned that Lithuania should not sit "like mice under the broom" over the incident. "They should tell us why they provided their territory for the violation of the state border," he said. "To Lithuania, if anyone, the response won't seem to be weak."