Charges presented against Surapin and Basharymau (Video)

The KGB offers organizers of the teddy bear air-drop to come to Minsk to give evidence as suspects.

The news was received from the KGB Centre for Information and Public Relations.

According to the centre, the KGB has initiated and investigates a criminal case under part 3 of article 371 of the Criminal Code in connection with illegal intrusion into Belarus's airspace by a light plane piloted by Swedish citizens.

Belarusians Surapin and Basharymau were detained on suspicion of aiding the crime. They were charged with violation of part 6 of article 16 (aiding and abetting) and part 3 of article 371 (illegal crossing the state border of Belarus).

“In the interests of an unbiased investigation of the criminal case and figuring out all details of intrusion into the airspace of the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Lithuania, the State Security Committee offers the Swedish citizens, who took part in organizing and performing the illegal border overflying, to arrive in Minsk as suspects to take part in investigative procedures, including face-to-face confrontations,” the KGB information centre reports. “Final procedural decisions in relation to the Belarusian citizens involved in the criminal case will be made after that.”

As charetr97.org already reported, a light Swedish aircraft overflew the Belarusian border on July 4. Teddy bears with pro-democracy labels were dropped from the plane over the town of Ivyanets and on the outskirts of Minsk. The Belarusian authorities refused to admit the fact of flight until July 26 saying “the investigation was under way”. Photographer Anton Surapin, who published photos of teddy bears found near Ivanets on the internet, and estate agent Syarhei Basharymau, who rented an apartment to the Swedes, were detained.

Lukashenka dismissed heads of the State Border Committee Major General Ihar Rachkouski and commander of the Air and Air Defence Forces Major Genera Dzmitry Pakhmelkin. Swedish ambassador Stefan Eriksson was expelled from the country.