The Russian secret agents interrogated for several hours independent journalist Larisa Shchyrakova on the Russian-Belarusian border. Particularly they were interested in her position towards Lukashenko and the situation in Ukraine.
Shchyrakova and her driver Kastus Zhukovsky went yesterday to the Russian-Belarusian border to make the material about the Russians restrictions on the export of Belarusian goods. Journalist crossed the Russian border in order to film Belarusian trucks and collect comments from Belarusian truck drivers. She also tried to get the comment from the Russian border guards, but they refused and directed her to their head office in Brańsk. The team, however, be decided to stay on the spot to shoot material in the parking near the former border control point. Then they were arrested by border guards – their documents were taken away .
Russians do not want to hear detainees’ explanations that they did not photographed any of the forbidden objects, and that between the two countries there is no border control.
Later detainees were interrogated by a man dressed in civilian clothes, who inquired about the reason for the filmic and the workplace.
“This man didn’t introduced himself. I don’t not know who he was – perhaps FSB officer. The border guards called him “operating officer” – emphasizes Shchyrakova.
Then next two undercover joined the conversation. One of them was interested in how journalist from Homel feelings towards Lukashenko and events in Ukraine.
The journalist did not hide his critical views against the Belarusian president and politics of Russia. The interrogators tried to convince her to “slavic brotherhood” and the deepening of the Russian-Belarusian cooperation.
“I lost feeling of time, it lasted so long. Finally I could stand it anymore, and suggested to wrote the protocol. Then they wake up and explained why we were arrested. It turns out that we could film the case of employees of the FSB. They demanded that I should deleted the entire recording. I showed them that I recorded Belarusian trucks only and at the end I deleted the last 10 seconds of the material, where we could see some blurry shapes “- adds the journalist.
Shchyrakova reports that undercover agents received phone calls all the time. “After one of the phones one of them said that I am ” a well-known ”” – adds the journalist. In her opinion, the Russians contacted KGB department from Homel.
Russians after taking a copy of the document released journalist and her river after 2.5 hours. They warned the team not to filmed at the border anymore.
Jb / Belsat /
www.belsat.eu/pl/
