Belarusian KGB delivers opposition activist to Russia


Belarusian security forces have handed over Vladimir Yegorov, a Russian activist of the Yabloko party, to their colleagues from the neighbouring country. Earlier, Russia put him on a wanted list.

Russian corruption-fighter Vladimir Yegorov was repeatedly threatened; unknown individuals broke windows in his house. Then Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case against him over a post in social networks. He vainly tried to get political asylum in Ukraine and then left for Belarus.

On July 29, Yegorov stopped responding to calls, Human Constanta activist Yana Goncharova says. Human rights defenders arrived at the hostel where he was staying, but found only his car. A receptionist said KGB officers had taken Vladimir Yegorov away.

On July 31, human rights defenders got information that the Russian citizen was being tried in a Minsk for allegedly using foul language, but they were barred from being present at the hearing. Later it became known that the sentence was delivered at about 17.00 in absentia.

On Wednesday morning Yegorov’s defense lawyer Svetlana Sidorkina said the activist had been given into hands of the Russian law enforcement bodies. Now he is being kept in the detention center in his hometown of Toropets (Tver region).

 belsat.eu

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