Stefan Eriksson: I don't like Belarusian flag incident

A former Swedish ambassador to Belarus comments on a ban to use the Belarusian national flag on the IIHF World Championship in Stockholm.

“It's clear that I don't like this story. I do everything I can. But with such a powerful organisation as the international federation, we need joint efforts to influence it. I think the issue will be discussed further,” Stefan Eriksson wrote on Facebook.

It should be reminded that local police officers twisted arms of Belarusian fans and kicked them out of the arena for an attempt to raise a big white-red-white flag during Belarus's game against Slovenia at the IIHF World Championship in Sweden.

Ambassador Stefan Eriksson was expelled from Belarus on August 1, 2012. The Swedish diplomat was accused of carrying out “destructive activity”. Before his expulsion, a light plane piloted by Swedish citizens crossed the Lithuanian-Belarusian border and dropped teddy bears with free speech leaflets over Minsk and Ivianets.

Stefan Eriksson had been Sweden's Ambassador to Belarus from June 2008 to August 2012. He had headed the Minsk department of the Swedish Embassy in Russia from September 2005.