On Thursday, the police searched the place of Aksana Zaretskaya, a Belarusian cultural studies scholar and member of the opposition Coordination Council. She has not been arrested.
“I am at liberty. The policemen limited themselves to interrogation and search,” Zaretskaya said on Facebook.
According to the woman, the official reason for the investigative action ‘totally phantasmagoric’: some lieutenant colonel from Mahiliou claimed that Zaretskaya was involved in ‘destructive activity in Odnoklassniki social network’ and suggested that at her place there would be materials that ‘shed light on the instigators of insulting police officers’.
It is not the first time that Belarusian security officers have raided Zaretskaya’s home; they made an unexpected visit in May 2021. In mid June, the activist was detained during the online premiere of the play White Rabbit, Red Rabbit; a bit later, a fine of 2,900 Belarusian rubles (nearly $1,200) was imposed on her.
On October 21, the authorities ordered to search the place of another Coordination Council member, Mikalai Shybeka. As a result, officers seized his laptop and phones, human rights centre Viasna reports. Mikalai was taken to the KGB, the activist’s girlfriend said.
